Editor’s Note: Ideas Lab asked the Democratic and Republican representatives in the US Senate to submit 5,000 comments on how they will fix health care, an issue that Wisconsinites surveyed as part of the Main Street Agenda Project said is the third most important issue they face. November 5 election.
When I was 9 years old, I got really sick and spent three months in the hospital. At the time, my grandparents were taking care of me, and their insurance wouldn’t cover me since I wasn’t their child. After I recovered, my grandparents started looking for insurance that would pay for me. But no insurance company would pay me any price, because I was marked with these terrible words: “pre-exist condition.”
So I spent my entire childhood without health insurance, and I realized I wasn’t alone. Kids like me, along with people with cancer, diabetes or asthma, were also without health insurance because of a completely broken system.
Eric Hovde article:The Affordable Care Act made health care more affordable. We have to move on from it.
My story is the story of countless Wisconsinites. That is what motivated me to run for office because I never wanted another family to suffer like mine. I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. Everyone deserves access to affordable health care regardless of income, where you live, or if you have a pre-existing condition. And I will continue to work until that becomes a reality for all Wisconsinites.
I wrote a plan to take care of the children on the parents’ health insurance
It took decades of work and a few decisions, but we passed the Affordable Care Act so no child and no parent or grandparent should experience the same stress that having a pre-existing condition did mine. I was proud to write a provision that allows children to remain on their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26. Today, millions of young Americans have health insurance premiums because of that service.
More Wisconsinites have gained insurance each year since we passed that law. The uninsured rate has already fallen to an all-time low in 2022. And this year, AACA health care enrollment reached a record high in Wisconsin. But my opponent, Eric Hovde, has said he will repeal the ACA if elected, undoing decades of work and putting every Wisconsinite with a preexisting condition at risk of losing their coverage. We cannot let that happen.
For decades, big pharmaceutical companies were overlooked in Washington as Wisconsinites paid hand over fist for the drugs they needed to survive. However, that ended when we passed the Deregulation Act two years ago, handing Big Pharma their first loss in recent memory. Because of this bill, Medicare can now negotiate lower drug prices directly with major pharmaceutical companies. Now those same companies can’t charge seniors more than $35 a month for insulin, and Wisconsinites with Medicare won’t pay more than $2,000 a year for their prescription drugs. More than 1.2 million Wisconsinites now pay less at the pharmacy because of the work we’ve done.
But I will not stop until we lower the cost of drugs for all Wisconsinites. I am currently working across the aisle to pass the INSULIN Act, which would build on our work and cap the cost of insulin at $35 for every American. I am also leading an investigation into four major manufacturers of asthma inhalers to find out why they are selling inhalers in the US for hundreds of dollars more than in Europe. Already, three of the four manufacturers have dropped their prices to $35 online. And I’m determined to end price gouging on all prescription drugs once and for all through my bipartisan FAIR Drug Pricing Act. Wisconsinites have my word that I will continue to fight to make sure they can afford the medical care they need to live healthy lives.
The closure of hospitals shows the need to invest in health facilities
Affordable health care can only go so far if it is not accessible or convenient for our families. And I know many in our region are struggling to be cared for as our health facilities are underfunded, under-resourced, or far from residential areas.
The story hit home when Hospital Sisters Health System suddenly closed its two hospitals and 19 clinics in Western Wisconsin. The emergency shutdown left families with little help and eliminated many paying jobs. When the closing was announced, I called out the leaders of Hospital Sisters Health System on their disappointing decision. But I want to make sure that something like this never happens again. That’s why I introduced my HSHS Act, which would force closed hospital systems to create a system for their patients to be connected to the health care they need.
As we fight hospital closures across the state, I am determined to bring new funding to the facilities we have so they can continue to care for our families. In just the past few years, I was proud to donate $1 million to Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin to expand their women’s health and labor and delivery services, $9 million for the construction of the Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County and $2.5 million for the construction of the Mental Health Emergency Center in Milwaukee.
And finally, I know our health centers would not function without the heroic health workers. have the direction to play a major role in health care, especially in our rural communities.
I have spent my career fighting to make sure Wisconsinites get the health care they deserve. If I am honored to be re-elected, I pledge to continue to advance my health care plan until every Wisconsinite has access to high-quality, affordable health care.
Senator Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, is seeking a third term in the US Senate.
The full text of the US Senate’s health care inquiry
Question: Last spring, two hospitals (in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls) and 19 clinics closed in western Wisconsin. The Marshfield Clinic Healthcare System started hiring employees earlier this year. In the Milwaukee area, some providers are cutting back on services. Health care systems cite staffing problems, insufficient Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, high costs and low costs for privately insured patients. How would you consider solving this problem?
Question: Health insurance premiums continue to rise by 2 percent. Meanwhile, the number of people in Wisconsin signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act hit a record earlier this year. What can be done to make health care more affordable for Wisconsin families? From your point of view, what role does the ACA play in this? Would you, for example, recommend repealing, replacing or amending the ACA?
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