Today, WCCF released a one-pager highlighting ten of the many reasons why Wisconsin should use the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to fill the gap in BadgerCare — by providing access to coverage for an estimated 181,000 low-income adults who aren’t caretakers of dependent children. You can find the PDF version here. Please share this widely!As we’ve noted in in a previous blog post, we believe that this Medicaid opportunity in the ACA warrants an informed discussion. The Top 10 list is footnoted with resources and reports that provide information to help us delve deeper into the evidence of need for filling the gap in BadgerCare. As with our outline of the benefits and costs of closing the BadgerCare gap, the top ten list is an attempt to increase transparency, public awareness and involvement in the dialogue around this important health care reform issue.

Here are the first five reasons on our list:

1. It’s the right thing to do. Everyone is worthy of health care coverage, and using the Medicaid opportunity in the ACA would close the largest gap in Wisconsin’s health care system. 
2. It will save lives. States that have extended Medicaid coverage to “childless adults” have seen fewer deaths – especially those caused by disease, accidents, injuries, and drug abuse. 
3. It also saves money. Covering more adults will reduce emergency room visits and uncompensated care costs that are incurred by hospitals and then shifted onto other health care consumers. 
4. It’s a very good deal for Wisconsin. The federal government will pick up the full cost of coverage for newly eligible adults for three years and at least 90% of those costs in subsequent years. 
5. It will help protect Wisconsin workers against preventable illnesses, result in a healthier and more productive workforce for Wisconsin employers, and improve our economic competitiveness.

Please read all of our Top 10 Reasons, and then let us know what we missed. We’ll be following up with more at a later date.

Sara Eskrich and Jon Peacock