Editor’s Notes: The Ideas Lab asked Democratic and Republican candidates for the US Senate to submit 1,000-word essays on how to deal with health care, an issue Wisconsinites polled as part of the Main Street Agenda project said is the third most pressing issue. the Nov. election. 5.
When I was 9 years old, I got very sick and spent three months in the hospital. At the time, my grandparents were taking care of me, and their insurance wouldn’t pay for me because I wasn’t their child. After I recovered, my grandmother started looking for insurance that would pay for me. But no insurance company would pay me anything, because I was labeled with that dreaded term: “pre-existing condition.”
So I spent my entire youth without health insurance, and I realized I wasn’t alone. Children like me, along with people with cancer, diabetes or asthma, were also going without health insurance because of a completely broken system.
Eric Hovde story:The Affordable Care Act made health care worse. We have to go beyond that.
My story is the story of countless Wisconsinites. This is what inspired me to start competing for this position because I did not want another family to suffer like I did. I believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Everyone should have access to affordable health care regardless of your income, where you live, or if you have a pre-existing condition. And I will continue to work until this becomes a reality for all Wisconsinites.
I wrote that children should not have health insurance for their parents
It took years of work and several decisions, but we passed the Affordable Care Act so that no child or parent or grandparent will ever have to deal with the pre-existing condition that I had. I had the pleasure of writing the provision that allows children to remain on their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26. Today, millions of young Americans have health insurance because of that work.
More and more Wisconsinites have gotten insurance every year since we passed this law. The uninsured rate even dropped significantly in 2022. And this year, ACA health insurance enrollment reached Wisconsin. But my opponent, Eric Hovde, has said he will repeal the ACA if elected, disrupting decades of jobs and putting every Wisconsinite at risk of losing their health care. We cannot allow this to happen.
For years, big pharmaceutical companies were ignored in Washington while Wisconsinites gave up on the drugs they needed to survive. However, that ended when we passed the Deregulation Act two years ago, handing Big Pharma their first loss in recent memory. Thanks to the bill, Medicare can now negotiate lower drug prices directly with the big drug companies. Now those same companies can’t charge seniors more than $35 a month for insulin, and Wisconsinites with Medicare pay no more than $2,000 a year for prescription drugs. More than 1.2 million Wisconsinites are now paying less at the pharmacy because of the work we do.
But I won’t stop until we lower the cost of medicine for all Wisconsinites. I am currently working to pass the INSULIN Act, which would improve our work and reduce the cost of insulin to $35 for every American. I’m also leading a study involving four major asthma inhaler companies to find out why they are selling inhalers in the US for hundreds of dollars more than in Europe. Already, three of the four manufacturers have lowered their prices to $35 per inhaler. And I am determined to end price gouging on all prescription drugs once and for all through my FAIR Drug Pricing Act. Wisconsinites have my word that I will continue to fight to make sure they can afford the drugs they need to stay healthy.
Hospital closures highlight the need to invest in healthcare facilities
Affordable health care can go a long way if it is not available or convenient for our families. And I know that many in our state are struggling to get treatment because our hospitals don’t get much money, don’t have many resources, or are far from where people live.
The news reached the public when Hospital Sisters Health System abruptly closed two of its hospitals and 19 clinics in Western Wisconsin. These sudden shutdowns left families without basic care and ended many well-paying jobs. After the closings were announced, I called out the leadership of Hospital Sisters Health System for their disappointing decision. But I want to make sure that something like this never happens again. That’s why I introduced my HSHS Act, which would force medical systems to close to create a plan to ensure their patients are connected to the health care they need.
As we deal with hospital closings across the state, I am determined to bring new funding to the facilities we have so they can continue to care for our families. In the past few years, I have been proud to donate $1 million to Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin to increase women’s health and labor and delivery services, $9 million to build the Lafayette County Memorial Hospital and $2.5 million to build a Mental Health Emergency Center in Milwaukee.
And finally, I know that our hospitals cannot function without brave medical workers. That’s why I’m working on a bill that will protect the health care workforce, expand the patient care workforce, and increase educational opportunities for more young people. to have a path to a better health service, especially in our villages.
I have been fighting throughout my career to make sure Wisconsinites have access to quality health care. If I were to be re-elected, I pledge to continue to advocate for my health care goals until every Wisconsinite has access to high-quality, affordable health care.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, is seeking a third term in the US Senate.
Full text of the US Senate health care question
Question: Last year, two hospitals (in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls) and 19 hospitals were closed in western Wisconsin. Marshfield Clinic Healthcare System launched the hiring process earlier this year. In the Milwaukee area, some providers are cutting back. Health care systems cite staffing challenges, inadequate Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, high costs and a low number of patients with private insurance. What can you do to overcome this problem?
Question: Health insurance premiums continue to rise at 2 percent. Meanwhile, the number of people in Wisconsin signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act spiked earlier this year. What can be done to make health care more affordable for Wisconsin families? In your opinion, what role does the ACA play in this? Would you like, for example, to repeal, replace or replace the ACA?
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