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Chair column as published in the Kenosha News, July 2007
The Wisconsin Senate Democrats are talking about it. Our Governor is talking about it. Michael Moore is talking about it in a big way ($11.5 million at this point – Sicko earning through July 8, 2007).
Our health care system is in crisis. There is no question that this is the case. How bad is it? If you look at simple poll numbers, almost 40% of Americans believe it is the number 1 priority for the 2008 presidential candidates. What do Americans want to be done? According to polls, regardless what issue you put as number 1 for presidential candidates, 67% of us want universal coverage.
Governor Jim Doyle came up with BadgerCare Plus, and intends to implement this plan. State Senator Bob Wirch and the Senate Democrats have come up with an interesting approach to our health care crisis. No matter how we want our legislators to fix the problem, at least it's finally up for debate.
As noted above, 67% of Americans want universal coverage. It's actually quite sickening (pardon the pun) that we are the only industrialized nation without it, and it's even more appalling that our country pays higher than any other industrialized country for it's health care!
Google the plan name: Healthy Wisconsin Your Choice Your Plan, and you will be presented with plenty of information. My information, although consistent with many resources, is provided primarily from Citizen Action of Wisconsin (http://citizenactionwi.org/).
So, what's the big hoopla? Frankly, people are scared of what it's actually going to take to really do universal coverage. Interesting that the far-righters are coming out against any Democratic proposal, because 55% of Republicans and 80% of Independents are uneasy with the current (Bush) administration's handling of health care!
Here are some details that should answer some of your uneasiness regarding Wirch's plan:
- Unions: Your union can bargain for
benefits higher than what is offered under the
new plan.
- Small business: Those small businesses
with less than 10 employees will actually pay
$1535 per employee less than what they
currently pay (if they currently offer
coverage).
- Entrepreneurs: By removing the need to negotiate small business health care packages for small companies, this will actually encourage more entrepreneurs into the marketplace.
- Pre-existing conditions: NONE.
- Insurance companies: They will still exist, but will actually have to compete in a fair marketplace, WITHOUT loopholes they don't tell you about (i.e. denied claims).
- Plan Opposition: That's why we have lobbyists.
- Tax increase: THIS IS NOT A TAX!!! This is a removal of the current system you already know is broken, and replaces it with a state-wide system that has been proven to work.
Although I can't completely say that Healthy Wisconsin is the perfect solution, according to all recent polls; you want the exact system that the Healthy Wisconsin plan is proposing.
Bravo Senator Wirch and Governor Doyle! We know that no matter which approach is taken, you are truly looking out for all of us!