On Medicaid Anniversary, WI Physicians, Bill Sponsor, Citizen Action of WI Call for Public Option

MADISON – On the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid being signed into law, Wisconsin physicians with the Committee to Protect Health Care, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, and bill sponsor Rep. Tara Johnson gathered to express support for passing a BadgerCare Public Option. They discussed the health care affordability crisis in the state and how the BadgerCare Public Option legislation would help honor the spirit of Medicare and Medicaid by expanding access to care.

“On this anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we should remember that these programs succeeded because leaders were willing to think boldly about expanding health care access. Wisconsin now has the chance to continue that legacy,” said Dr. Samantha Crowley, an emergency medicine physician in Madison. “So far, our Republican leaders in Madison have failed us by refusing to expand Medicaid. Our Republican leaders in Washington have only made the health care system even worse by gutting Medicaid. It’s time for a change.”

“As I’m knocking on doors, as I’m meeting constituents, this issue of access to affordable quality health care is top of mind for so many,” said State Rep. Tara Johnson (D-Shelby). “That is reinforcing the importance of the BadgerCare Public Option bill that we introduced earlier this spring. This bill is a really important step toward gaining access for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands Wisconsinites. It’s a huge step to get us toward what I hope will be universal health care in Wisconsin.”

“While many, many states have expanded Medicaid and broadened access to affordable health coverage, our state has repeatedly failed to act,” said Dr. Ken Schellhase, a family physician in Milwaukee. “In fact, we’re one of just 10 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. And why? Because Republican leaders in Madison have refused to act. It’s time for our state leaders to stop saying no to solutions and start saying yes to healthier families, stronger communities, and a health care system that works for everyone. It’s time to pass the BadgerCare Public Option Bill.”

“Medicare and Medicaid allow people to get preventive care, manage chronic illnesses, afford lifesaving medications, and avoid medical crises before they happen. But today, instead of celebrating these remarkable achievements, we’re confronting a growing health care affordability crisis,” said Dr. Kristen Dall-Winther, a family physician in Birchwood. “Unfortunately, Congress has made that crisis worse. Just over a year ago, Wisconsin’s Republican members of Congress, including my representative Tom Tiffany, voted for HR 1, legislation that made the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history in order to finance tax breaks for billionaires and large corporations. The anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid should remind us what’s possible when we choose to invest in people’s health instead of taking health care away.”

“We know it’s going to be several years until there’s a president and a Congress that can try to fix the mess that’s been created — that’s made an already costly system worse,” said Dr. Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “So it’s really incumbent upon state leaders to step up. There’s a possibility of a legislature that could take real action in 2027. We can expand Medicaid still. We can build upon that under the ACA a basic health plan. And you can allow individuals and small businesses to buy in, for more comprehensive coverage that is less expensive. This would be the most dramatic increase, frankly, since Medicare and Medicaid, of affordable coverage in Wisconsin.”

About the Committee to Protect Health Care

The Committee to Protect Health Care is a national mobilization of doctors, health care professionals, and advocates who are building a pro-patient health care majority in Congress and in states so that we can live in an America where everyone has the health care they need to thrive. To learn more: www.committeetoprotect.org

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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