Governor Walker visits hospitals in La Crosse and Green Bay to promote health care stability plan

MADISON — Governor Scott Walker toured the Mayo Center for Advanced Medicine in La Crosse and the Bellin Emergency Department in Green Bay today and discussed the Health Care Stability Plan outlined in his Ambitious Agenda for Wisconsin. As proposed, Governor Walker’s plan would request a State Innovation Waiver to lower premiums for those in Obamacare’s individual market, enact legislation that prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions, and request a permanent waiver for the state’s SeniorCare program.

“Where Washington has failed, Wisconsin will step up and lead,” said Governor Walker. “Our Health Care Stability Plan will provide financial relief for those facing skyrocketing premiums on Obamacare’s individual market and peace of mind for those with preexisting conditions and seniors who rely on SeniorCare. These are Wisconsin issues, and we are solving them the Wisconsin way. Our plan to lower premiums for those on the individual market received bipartisan support in committee last week, and I hope to see it passed by both the Assembly and Senate soon.”

Governor Walker is calling on the State Senate to pass pre-existing condition protection legislation, which passed the Wisconsin State Assembly as Assembly Bill 365 in June 2017. The bill, as amended, prohibits a group health benefit plan from imposing a preexisting condition exclusion or any coverage limitations related to a preexisting condition. It also prohibits a group or individual health insurance policy from taking into account a person’s health status while setting coverage rates.

The State Innovation Waiver, a 1332 Waiver, would allow Wisconsin to stabilize rising health care premiums in the individual marketplace. Governor Walker’s plan would help to cover expensive medical claims for health insurers that are participating in the marketplace.

SeniorCare provides prescription drug coverage for senior citizens. The state has successfully received four past waiver extensions, and under Governor Walker’s Health Care Stability Plan, the state would seek a change in federal law to make the SeniorCare waiver permanent for approximately 60,000 Wisconsin’s seniors who utilize the program each month.