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Friday, March 29, 2024
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Republican legislators presented evidence showing the cost of Medicaid for those not affiliated, but Gov. Tony Evers persists with plans to propose expansion in budget.

Research shows $6M increase for privately insured citizens if Evers expands medicaid

New research showing the implications of Medicaid expansion for those with private health insurance instigated a press conference Tuesday morning at the Capitol with Republican legislators.

The Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty (WILL) and the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy (CROWE) presented findings from their study. It found, Medicaid expansion will cost $600 million for families across Wisconsin — even after state savings are taken into account.

The researchers found an increase of 52,000 annual emergency room visits and an annual increase in private health insurance costs varying from $177 to $700.

“The public deserves an honest debate about the true costs and trade-offs of any proposal that expands Medicaid in Wisconsin,” WILL Research Director Will Flanders said.

CROWE Director Noah Williams said the organization believes the solution to improving healthcare access is not to move people from private insurance to government-run insurance.

Instead he stressed the importance of providing “more flexibility, deregulations and variety in the private market, which would increase transparency, incentivize people to control cost and lead to lower overall expenditures.”

Rep. Joe Sanfelippo, R-New Berlin, pointed out the unique lack of coverage gap Wisconsin experiences, and cautioned lawmakers to be mindful about accepting money, referencing how Wisconsinites who would move to Medicaid already have access to subsidized health insurance. 

“You have a group of people who want the federal money, they’re addicted to spending,” Sanfelippo said. “They want to feed that spending addiction at the expense of the health of the people in this state.”

Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville,  thanked WILL and CROWE for establishing statistics surrounding the controversial topic.

“For so long we just heard numbers thrown around. Now we have an incredible analysis that really points out the cost clearly to us,” Stroebel said. “We need to keep the private sector involved in medicine. That is where we see the best results.”

Sen. Chris Kapenga, R-Delafield, and Sen. Dave Craig, R-Big Bend, also praised the research presented.

“How many times have you seen someone switch from private insurance to Medicaid and jump up and down with joy? It doesn’t happen,” Kapenga said. 

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Gov. Tony Evers’ office responded to statements made at the press conference, claiming the majority of people in Wisconsin support the expansion of Medicaid, creating cause for Gov. Evers’ intention to propose the expansion in his upcoming budget.

“It’s unfortunate that Republicans are once again putting politics before people,” Evers’ Deputy Communications Director Britt Cudaback said. “The governor is listening to the people of our state — that’s why he’s including Medicaid expansion in his budget, and that’s why he’ll be appealing directly to the people to support his budget proposal. It’s time to get to work and stop playing politics with healthcare in Wisconsin.”

The statement cited a Marquette Law poll which reported 62 percent of Wisconsinites believe the state should accept federal funds in order to expand Medicaid. 

43 percent of Republicans, 88 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of Independents said Wisconsin should expand Medicaid, according to the poll. 

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