Following the passage of landmark health-care legislation Sunday, groups and individuals across the state are beginning to take a look at how the bill will impact Wisconsin residents, businesses and health-care providers.
The $940 million bill, approved on a 219-212 vote, is expected to increase health coverage for 32 million Americans, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The vote split mainly along party lines, with 34 Democrats joining all 178 Republicans in opposition to the bill. Although many of the bill's provisions will not take effect until 2014, tax credits for small businesses that offer health plans and extended benefits for young adults could come into effect soon.
According to Graeme Zielinski, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, many provisions will take effect immediately. He said one of the immediate provisions allows young adults under 26 to remain under a parent's health plan.
Molly Rivera, chair of UW-Madison College Democrats, said this provision will positively affect college students nationwide.
""In the past we haven't been able to get health coverage in that age group, and now if we don't get a job right away we can stay under our parent's health-insurance plan … I think that's the biggest provision that will affect people our age,"" she said.
In January, a new emergency rule in Wisconsin gave individuals up to age 27 the ability to remain on their parent's insurance.
Charles Franklin, UW-Madison political science professor, said it is unlikely any tangible effects of the bill will be evident in the short run. He also said Wisconsin's high rate of currently insured individuals means Wisconsin may not feel the effects in the way a state with low rates of coverage might.
However, Republicans and Democrats across Wisconsin agree the health-care issue will be a rallying point for many candidates going into the 2010 election season.
According to Rivera, passage of the bill will be positive for Democratic candidates.
""It's going to be a really big rallying call for us, because it's a great accomplishment of our party and of our country,"" she said.
Kristin Ruesch, communications director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said she expects backlash against the bill from voters in November. She said the legislation is ""partisan"" and ""flawed.""
""So far the only bipartisanship on the bill has been opposition,"" she said. ""[Democrats] weren't listening to the American people when they passed [the bill]. So, are people still going to be upset that their Democrat representatives didn't listen to their voice when they were calling out? Yeah, absolutely. People are still going to be thinking about this in November.""
Franklin said he thinks health care will continue to be a hot-button campaign issue but said the debate will likely be more about the ""ideological and symbolic elements of it"" rather than the bill's actual effects.
""I do think we will hear campaign-related messages about health insurance, both pro and con,"" he said. ""I just don't think it will be very tied to any tangible impacts here [in Wisconsin] or probably elsewhere.""
