Advocates, legislators, and individual supporters from across the state gathered at the capital today for the introduction of the “Strengthen BadgerCare Act.” This bill would close the gap in BadgerCare, ensuring that low-income uninsured Wisconsinites without health insurance do not continue to fall through the cracks in BadgerCare.
A Wisconsin Budget Project blog post provides more detail regarding the fiscal savings – suffice to say that the Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates that the Act could expand coverage to 175,000 uninsured Wisconsinites while saving the state nearly $66 million in the first three years, and bringing in an additional $4.4 billion in federal health care funds to Wisconsin through June 2020. It’s a win/win for Wisconsin.
As our press releasepoints out, child advocates support filling the BadgerCare gap. Wisconsin has been a national leader in insuring our residents, by taking advantage of national and state opportunities to extend coverage. Our state recognized that low-wage workers need help affording health care coverage – and BadgerCare meets that need. However, adults without dependent children do not have access to this coverage.
Rep. Wachs, from Eau Claire, shared a story about two constituents who lost their BadgerCare coverage when their son aged out of the program. As farmers with a pre-existing condition, diabetes, health insurance was impossible to afford in the private market. And without coverage the wife ended up losing a leg to diabetes. Medical bills racked up so high that they had to sell their farm to pay off the bills. Their story, which only gets more distressing, highlights that we’re all just hanging by a thread when it comes to our health and economic security. All Wisconsinites should be able to access BadgerCare when they need it, to prevent families from facing the tragic circumstances of these Eau Claire farmers.
Dr. Jeff Huebner, a local family physician, shared why providers support filling the gap in BadgerCare; watch his post-event statement here:
This bill shows the commitment of legislators to coverage in Wisconsin. We continue to call on Governor Walker to ensure that his budget takes advantage of the federal funds, and fills the gap in BadgerCare.
Sara Eskrich
