Wisconsin Democrats push GOP on health care
MADISON - Wisconsin Democrats are using last week’s vote to overhaul Obamacare to try to force Republican state lawmakers to take a stand on helping people with cancer and other pre-existing conditions.
The effort makes clear health care is likely to remain front and center in next year’s campaigns.
Republicans in the Assembly cut short Wednesday’s session to avoid taking a vote advancing a Democratic plan to assist people with pre-existing conditions.
Expect more maneuvers like that as Democrats try to pin down Republicans.
Republicans in the U.S. House last week voted to rewrite Obamacare, which is officially known as the Affordable Care Act. The legislation would allow states to opt out of Obamacare policies ensuring those with preexisting conditions can get affordable health insurance.
The U.S. Senate is expected to make significant changes to the bill, if it can pass it at all.
In the meantime, Democratic state lawmakers say they want to make sure patients are protected no matter what the federal government does.
They unveiled five bills on Friday — to protect people with pre-existing conditions; require insurers to cover maternity care, hospitalization, drug treatment and other types of care; cover preventive care without requiring deductibles or copayments; bar lifetime or annual limits on insurance coverage; and provide family planning coverage for Medicaid recipients through Planned Parenthood and other clinics.
“I want to know, are we as a state going to protect people with diabetes, heart disease, cancer?” said Rep. Daniel Riemer (D-Milwaukee).
Democrats are in the minority in both houses and have few opportunities to pass their bills into laws. But Riemer and others said they hoped to at least put Republicans on the record on where they stood by eventually forcing votes on the legislation.
“It’s certainly going to come up in the election cycle,” said Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton). “If the (GOP health care plan) goes forward, people are going to lose their health care.”
Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette), co-chairman of the Legislature’s budget committee, said no matter what Congress does, Wisconsin and other states would be sure to protect people with pre-existing conditions using high-risk insurance pools or other entities.
“Prior to even Obamacare existing, we had that safety net in Wisconsin,” Nygren said.
He acknowledged health care could be used against Republicans in the next campaign, particularly with his party controlling Washington, D.C., in an “era of dissatisfaction.”
“Being in charge right now in Washington (for either party) almost looks like the kiss of death,” he said.
GOP Gov. Scott Walker has said he would consider opting out of the pre-existing condition rules, but that he would make sure such people have access to coverage. He has emphasized the debate on the issue is far from settled in Congress.