Healthcare

 As a pediatrician, I’ve had a front row seat to the many amazing things American health care can do, as well as many of the unique failings and frustrations within it. Some of the strengths include amazing caregivers, cutting-edge technology, elite hospitals and medical schools, and world-class research (unfortunately, now under threat).  

The weaknesses, however, are profound. We are the only developed nation that does not provide universal health care for our people. We pay more than every other nation yet have worse outcomes. Many of us are covered by for-profit insurers, whose primary responsibility is to their shareholders instead of patients. Too many of us are financially overwhelmed by health care costs. The government meddles in private health care decisions.  Rural hospitals and clinics are closing.  

So what can we do at the state level, especially as thousands more are facing loss of coverage with the passage of the Big (Blank) Bill?  

Some immediate steps would be to assist people with new reporting requirements, work to keep rural facilities open, promote cost transparency, and reduce administrative costs by eliminating the role of health insurers as middlemen with Badgercare. We can also require human review of AI insurance denials and eliminate the need for prior authorizations for chronic conditions.

. 

However, I think a more profound step needs to be taken.  Wisconsin has led the way in the past in helping its citizens. 

Wisconsin was the first state to pass unemployment insurance, the first to pass workman’s comp, and was one of the early adopters of old age insurance.  

Now, we should become the first state to ensure that all of our residents have medical coverage.  

How? Those over 65 are already covered with Medicare, and those with low incomes or disabilities are covered with Badgercare (Medicaid). We need a comprehensive plan for the rest.  This could take the form of a public option or a government run single payer scheme in which all residents are automatically enrolled, eliminating the need for coverage from an employer. There are other possibilities, but the goal would be that all have coverage that allows them to get medical care without financial hardship.  

I have long advocated for a national single-payer health insurance plan, as it makes the most sense ethically and economically. Short of that, we as a state need to lead the way. I pledge to do all I can to make universal coverage in Wisconsin a reality.