Month: February 2012

Shaped by her own health care experience, U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the lone Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Herb Kohl, on Monday provided a full defense of her support for President Barack Obama's health care act. In contrast to the three Republican candidates for Senate, all of whom are in favor of repealing the law, Baldwin defended her vote in support. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/21)

Officials have negotiated a series of conditions to protect the interests of residents in the Neenah area if the Winnebago County Health Department absorbs the Neenah and Oshkosh health departments. (APPLETON POST CRESCENT, 2/17)

The state has withdrawn proposed premium and cost-sharing changes to children's benefits in its Medicaid waiver, according to an update letter sent to Medicaid director Brett Davis on Wednesday. (WHN, 2/16)

The Burlington Area School District Board on Monday officially approved suing the district’s former health insurance carrier. The unanimous board approval means Burlington will join other districts around the state in suing WEA Trust, a nonprofit health insurer for Wisconsin public-school employees and their families. (RACINE JOURNAL TIMES, 2/16)

Wisconsin senators have voted unanimously to comply with a federal order, and remove last year’s enrollment cap for the FamilyCare program. But Assembly finance chair Robin Vos says his house might force the Walker administration to prove that it’s controlling costs, before it can expand FamilyCare to 15 counties which currently don’t offer it. (WTAQ, 2/16)

Outreach Community Health Centers, which saw almost 2,000 additional patients last year, recently expanded its main clinic. The community health center, formerly Health Care for the Homeless, is one of four community health centers in the Milwaukee area. All of them are expanding or hope to expand…Community health centers, located in low-income urban neighborhoods and rural areas, were expected to double in size in five years. That target now seems unlikely. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/15)

While working at the Osceola Medical Center a couple years ago, Dr. Erik Severson decided to transfer a heart patient to a different hospital. When the man took an abrupt turn for the worse and died under Severson's care, the physician took a risk as he broke the news to the man's son. (WISCONSIN WATCH, 2/14)

Politicians vilifying health insurance companies isn't uncommon. But WEA Trust has the distinction of being attacked not by liberal Democrats but by conservative Republicans. WEA Trust's core business is selling health insurance to school districts. And the company - an outgrowth of the state's largest teachers union but an independent, nonprofit company - became a frequent target in the clash over teachers' benefits and collective bargaining. (JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/13)