Rep. Seidel Statement on HSA Special Session Bill

For Immediate Release

January 14, 2011

Contact: Donna Seidel

608.266.0654

MADISON – Rep. Donna Seidel (D-Wausau), member of the Assembly Committee on Health, released the following statement regarding Special Session Bill 2 after this week’s public hearing and executive session.

“The estimated cost of this legislation is nearly $50 million, and the state simply cannot afford to dig a deeper hole with the current fiscal challenges facing us in the next budget.  I am concerned that in order to pay for this initiative, services will be taken away from those who are most in need.  The state can cover approximately 35,000 kids under BadgerCare Plus for the amount that will be spent on this proposal in just the first year.  We will not be helping working families by cutting programs they depend on.

Proponents of the bill say it will help families that are struggling to afford health care, but this bill does nothing to address the rising costs of health care.  I fear it will create more problems to accessing quality health care and have a devastating effect on health care costs.

Sponsors of the bill are unable to quantify the number of jobs that will result from this legislation and some even admit there will be no jobs directly created.  Like several of the other bills introduced as part of Governor Walker’s “Special Session on Job Creation,” the HSA bill will not put people back to work.  We have seen this bill in previous sessions, and I expected it would be introduced again, but I do not understand the need to fast track it when there is no explanation for how it will create jobs.  I am committed to passing bills that will have an immediate impact on job creation to address the economic emergency facing our state.”

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