Citizen Action Wisconsin has a very thorough report out on the amount of money Wisconsin families could save if the “Healthy Wisconsin” plan were ever enacted. The summary:
The report, “Good Deal: How Healthy Wisconsin Improves the Bottom Line for Wisconsin Families,†shows that the typical Wisconsin family would save between 40% and 62%. This amounts to savings of $1,320 and $4,180 per year over what Wisconsin families are paying now for health insurance premiums and deductibles. These findings shed additional light on the benefits of comprehensive health care reform, by bringing it down to the level of kitchen table economics.
The report uses an extremely conservative methodology that likely understates the family savings that would be achieved under Healthy Wisconsin. Also, the report’s tight focus on cost does not take into account the increased value of Healthy Wisconsin’s well above average benefits package (as good as what Legislators receive), or the additional value to a family of having health coverage they can never lose as long as they reside in Wisconsin.
While some on the right will undoubtedly bring up the old and methodically debunked scare tactics about “it’s socialized medicine!!”, and “government bureaucrats shouldn’t be making medical decisions@!!”, etc… it’s hard to argue with the numbers and the conclusion that not only would this plan cost less and put literally thousands of dollars back into the pockets of Wisconsin’s working families, it would also provide a higher level of medical care than most people currently receive.
That’s something that makes sense and everyone should get behind: a government service that provides a higher level of service while saving people money.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
Citizens Action Wisconsin – I don’t trust the information coming from that group. Not to dismiss is completely as biased, but one has to be careful.
Dan – in the end, the service is poor and people do NOT save money.
I am not sure whey people think that we will save money. Look at the states that have already tried socialized medicine. It does not work. Benefits get cut and/or cost goes up. Check out Tenncare, for examples of this.
What is your motivation for pushing this issue?
I, as someone who has the exact same health plan as a state employee that everyone would get under Healthy Wisconsin, would disagree adamantly on the “service is poor and people do not save money” claims. I’d also wonder what experience you’re basing those claims from.
My family and I have excellent health coverage and pay literally hundreds of dollars less every single month that we did when I had a job with a private company.
I’ve never met anyone I work with who’s complained about our health coverage or how much we pay for it. So I’m really curious where you’re coming from.
You should really look at the report and the methodology they used to come up with their findings in the report. Like I said, it’s hard to argue with the numbers.
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Making a Killing