New basic health insurance plan clears Joint Finance

Adults who missed the chance to sign up for an expansion of Medicaid in Wisconsin could buy state-sponsored insurance under a plan that cleared the legislature's budget committee.

There are about 21,000 people on a waiting list for Wisconsin's new BadgerCare Core plan. The plan covers childless adults with incomes up to 200-percent of the federal poverty level, or a little under $22,000 a year.

A bill that cleared the Joint Finance Committee would let those people buy into a new state insurance plan for $130 a month. They'd have to meet a $7,500 deductible for hospital stays.

Milwaukee Assembly Democrat Pedro Colon for many people it's the only option. He says it’s a fallacy for some to argue that one can somehow do this with the private market when that hasn’t been tried yet.

Republicans voted against the plan. Racine Assemblyman Robin Vos noted the state plan would not cover autism or several other conditions that are mandated on private insurers. Vos says the only reason government can offer a plan this cheap is because it created it’s own set of rules.

The plan would be funded completely by premiums.

Tags: news, wisconsin, health, badgercare