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Sean England
In News

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Changes Tune on Affordable Care Act in Election Year

Former Republican Presidential Candidate Sees Writing on the Wall for 2018

Washington, DC — In a sign of how dramatically the politics around health care have shifted, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, once an outspoken foe of the Affordable Care Act, has embraced a plan to strengthen the law in his state. The about-face comes soon after a national Protect Our Care poll showed that health care is a top priority for most voters going into the 2018 election cycle.

“Even ultra-conservative Scott Walker is finally facing facts: 2018 voters overwhelmingly prefer politicians who will work keep and improve the Affordable Care Act over candidates who support President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ unpopular sabotage-and-repeal agenda. Governor Walker should advise his Republican friends in Congress to face up to the writing on the wall and start supporting states’ efforts to improve the Affordable Care Act, instead of digging themselves a deeper hole by continuing to push partisan repeal bills and condone the Trump administration’s ongoing sabotage,” said Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse.

Walker, in Turnabout, Moves to Stabilize Insurance Market

AP // Scott Bauer

MADISON, Wis. — In a tack to the left in an election year, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker announced Sunday that he wants a state law that would bar insurers from denying a person health coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

He also wants Wisconsin to join Minnesota, Oregon, Hawaii and Alaska in obtaining a federal waiver to offer reinsurance, a move designed to lower premiums for people in the private insurance marketplace.

Walker said the steps are necessary because “Washington failed to act” on passing a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare” — in effect criticizing fellow Republicans who control Congress and the White House.

Democrats accused Walker of hypocrisy. He has been a consistent and vocal critic of the health care law, refused to participate in the federal marketplace and repeatedly advocated for the law’s repeal and replacement. He also previously suggested he might have Wisconsin opt out of the law’s pre-existing condition rules.

“Give me a break on this pivot,” Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said. “The problem we’re trying to fix was self-inflicted by Governor Walker.”

By seeking a reinsurance waiver, Walker is taking a step to make the private marketplace in Wisconsin more stable and affordable for more than 200,000 people in it. He plans to use his State of the State speech on Wednesday to ask the Republican-controlled Legislature to approve the proposals this year, and said leaders are on board.

His ideas, including seeking a lifetime federal waiver for the state’s popular discount prescription drug program known as SeniorCare, have had bipartisan support in the past. Democratic state Sen. Jon Erpenbach said he expected Democrats to largely support the measures.

“Obviously the governor’s done some polling and he’s finding out he’s on the wrong side of history on health insurance and health care,” Erpenbach said.

Walker has been embracing ideas originally championed in whole or in part by Democrats as he seeks a third term in November. Earlier this month he called for closing the state’s troubled juvenile prison, which Democrats have pushed for years. And last year, he gave public schools essentially the level of funding requested by state schools Superintendent Tony Evers, a Democrat running against him for governor.

Walker told reporters he’s simply “listening to people across the state. It doesn’t matter if they’re Democrat or Republican. I don’t think those are Democrat issues, those are Wisconsin issues. People care about them.”

He said his latest health plan addresses the concerns of people who buy insurance through their employers by guaranteeing that pre-existing conditions will be covered. Even though that’s currently federal law, Walker said it is important that the state guarantee it and provide peace of mind.

Last year, the state Assembly passed a bill that would have done just that. Walker called on the Senate to pass it in the coming weeks.

The state’s discount prescription drug program for those over age 65 has received a federal waiver since 2002. It serves 60,000 seniors a month. The waiver has been extended four times, most recently in 2015. Walker said a permanent waiver would give peace of mind to seniors who rely on the discounted medicine.

Erpenbach doubted such a waiver could be granted without a change in federal law.

Walker’s push to make SeniorCare permanent comes seven years after he proposed cutting membership by forcing enrollees to first sign up for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, with the state program only covering what the federal one did not.

That was rejected after a bipartisan outcry.

Walker’s other new federal waiver request to offer reinsurance addresses the roughly 200,000 people in Wisconsin who purchase health insurance on the private marketplace under the “Obamacare” law. Reinsurance, which has bipartisan support, basically sets up a pool of money for the government to cover the cost of insurers’ most expensive cases.

Walker estimated his plan would cost $200 million, with the federal government paying 75 percent. He said the state’s share would come from savings from the Medicaid program.

Walker said he expected the program to result in lower rate increases in 2019 and stabilize a market that recently lost several larger insurers including UnitedHealth and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. The state insurance office estimated that premium rates will increase an average of 36 percent this year.

Because of the loss of insurers, this year more than 75,000 people in Wisconsin had to change insurance companies and many of them were limited to one or two choices.

 

 

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Protect Our Care Statement on Senate Finance Passage of Tax Bill

In response to the GOP tax bill — which contains a repeal of the individual mandate, something the CBO found would increase premiums double-digits and kick 13 million people off of their health insurance — passing the Senate Finance Committee, Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

“This is unconscionable,” said Woodhouse. “To say the GOP isn’t listening to their constituents would be the understatement of the year. Ten days ago voters across the country made clear their support of the Affordable Care Act, electing candidates who supported its expansion, voting out entrenched incumbents who backed repeal and resoundly passing a Medicaid expansion the first time the ACA was on the ballot. Now, just days later, the GOP is responding to this outpouring of support for the expansion of health care by moving forward legislation tantamount to its repeal.

“This bill would raise premiums double-digits across the board, kick 13 million people off of their health insurance and cut $25 billion from Medicare — all so the wealthiest Americans and corporations can get a tax break. Republicans in Congress are so insistent on giving their donors a tax cut that they have no problem raising health care costs for the middle-class families who need it most while crippling the health insurance marketplace. Republicans in the Senate who said ‘no’ to previous efforts at repeal should say ‘hell no’ to this one.”

Sean England
In Uncategorized

Zombie Health Care Repeal Part 5: What the GOP’s Sneaky Health Repeal Means for You

The GOP is sneaking in a partisan health care repeal to pay for their tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Here’s what you need to know:

  • GOP is sneaking in health repeal after failing four times. The American people rejected Republican repeal efforts four times over the course of the year. Now, they’re sneaking health repeal into their big tax cut bill for the wealthy and big corporations.
  • Sneaky repeal would rip coverage away from 13 million people and raise premiums by double digits. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that 13 million people would lose health coverage and premiums would increase double digits as a result of the health repeal provision Republicans are sneaking into their tax bill.
  • Key patient groups oppose sneaky repeal. Sixteen patient groups have announced their opposition: March of Dimes; the American Heart Association; the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; the Multiple Sclerosis Society; Lutheran Services in America; the American Lung Association; the American Diabetes Association; the National Health Council; the Epilepsy Foundation; the National Organization for Rare Disorders; the American Liver Foundation; Family Voices; Consumers Union; Little Mended Hearts; and Futures Without Violence.
  • Key industry stakeholders oppose sneaky repeal. Six health care industry groups have announced their opposition: America’s Health Insurance Plans; the American Academy of Family Physicians; the American Hospital Association; the American Medical Association; the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; and the Federation of American Hospitals. In the words of CNBC: “Insurers, doctors and hospitals oppose repeal.”
  • The tax bill would trigger $25 billion in Medicare cuts. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that huge tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations would trigger $25 billion in cuts to Medicare.
  • The tax bill raises health costs for middle class families and seniors with high medical expenses. The House Republican tax plan eliminates the medical expense deduction, which helps nearly 9 million people with high medical expenses, such seniors with long-term care, people with chronic health conditions and parents of children with disabilities. Nearly 70 percent of people who claimed this deduction earned $75,000 or less.
  • All of this is to pay for huge tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Let’s be clear: Republicans are sneaking health repeal into their tax bill so they can pay for their huge tax cuts to the wealthy and big corporations. The Tax Policy Center found nearly half of the tax cuts would benefit the top 1 percent.
  • Republicans are not listening to the American people. Time and time again the American people have rejected health repeal. First, the GOP health care repeal is the most unpopular legislation in three decades. In last week’s elections, health care was the dominant issue. In the Virginia gubernatorial race, health care was the #1 issue to 39% of voters — more than double any other issue, and among those voters, Ralph Northam beat Ed Gillespie by 54 points (77–23). In New Jersey, 19% of voters ranked health care their top issue, and chose Phil Murphy over Kim Guadagno, who opposed the ACA, by 74 points (86–12). In Maine, voters “easily approved” an expansion of Medicaid by a nearly 60–40 margin. And in the Virginia House of Delegates races, Democrats ran on health care and achieved a historic victory, flipping fifteen seats.
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