Both GOP gubernatorial candidates oppose the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act, which President Obama signed into law onMarch 23. On Monday, candidate Mark Neumann even delivered more than 25,000petitions asking Gov. Jim Doyle to block federal reform in the state.Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said he would try to block it underthe next governor after failing to get Doyle’s approval to do so earlier thisyear. And U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson said his main goal is to repeal thebill.
But is that wise?
After all, many critical health care reformprovisions will kick in before voters head to the polls in November. Accordingto the Kaiser Family Foundation, reforms that will begin on Sept. 23 include:
- Taxcredits will be provided to small businesses that provide health insurance foremployees
- Qualified Medicare recipients can receive a $250 rebate to help close the PartD donut hole
- Adultchildren can stay on their parents’ insurance policy until they turn 26
- Insurers will be prohibited from creating lifetime limits on coverage
- Insurers will be prohibited from dropping policyholders when they get sick
- Insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to kids under 19 who havepre-existing conditions
In addition, one more reform will begin on June 21,when those with pre-existing conditions can join a temporary high-risk pool toaccess health insurance coverage.
Do Scott Walker, Neumann, Van Hollen and Johnsonreally want to roll back these reforms after Wisconsinresidents begin benefiting from them?
One-in-FourWisconsinites Has a Pre-existing Condition
The impact of these protections and those to comewill have a widespread impact on Wisconsin.
Take denial of coverage based on pre-existingconditions, which will be banned outright in 2014.
According to a new study by Families USA, 1.1million Wisconsin residents under the age of 65 have a pre-existingconditioncancer or diabetes or even allergies, for examplethat could causethem to be denied health care coverage or charged higher rates if the heathinsurance industry is left to its own devices.
“The number of people who are affected is prettyastounding,” said Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action ofWisconsin. “It tells you why so many people are upset about the healthinsurance industry’s business model.”
Not surprisingly, the impact is felt most acutely bybaby boomers, aged 55 to 64, since 46% of them have a pre-existing condition.
But these numbers are a conservativeestimate, since Families USA identified only those with a diagnosedpre-existing condition. There may be many more people with an undiagnosedcondition that could lead them to be dropped from coverage. These individualsare more likely to be ethnic or racial minorities, since they are more likelyto not have health insurance coverage that gives them access to quality healthcare.
In a conference call with reporters, U.S.Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) praised the health care reform bill,saying it “ends some of the most ludicrous practices of the insuranceindustry,” such as defining domestic violence as a pre-existing condition andproviding insurance coverage only to the healthiest consumers.
U.S. Congressman Steve Kagen of Appleton said he considers the health carereform package to be an important affirmation of civil rights for allindividuals.
“It’s a civil right that no longer will a healthinsurance company be allowed to discriminate against any citizen just becauseof how they were born or because they may become ill through no fault of theirown,” Kagen told reporters. “This is a great victory for all citizens. Ifyou’re a citizen you’re now in and we have to hold on to this new right, thisnew freedom from discrimination.”
