Nearly 230,000 Wisconsinites who rely on Medicaid and Affordable Care Act will lose health insurance
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) slammed President Trump and Republicans’ bill that will cut Medicaid and attack the Affordable Care Act after a new report revealed their plan will terminate health insurance for 228,000 Wisconsinites. Overnight, House Republicans started the process to advance the GOP bill that will kick roughly 13.7 million Americans, including over 228,000 Wisconsinites, off of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for Republicans’ tax breaks for the top one percent.
“Donald Trump came into office promising to lower costs for families. Instead, Republicans are about to jack up the cost of health care for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites, all so the wealthiest Americans can get richer,” said Senator Baldwin. “Gutting Medicaid would be devastating for countless families in Wisconsin, and I won’t stand idly by while Republicans try to take away health care from Wisconsinites.”
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)’s analysis of House Republicans’ legislation, cuts to Medicaid and the ACA would result in roughly 13.7 million people losing their health insurance by 2034. Using CBO’s analysis, a new report shows that in Wisconsin, 228,659 people would lose their coverage, including 81,308 Wisconsinites who rely on Affordable Care Act tax breaks to afford their insurance and 147,351 Wisconsinites on Medicaid.
The Republican plan would roll out new work reporting requirements designed to kick Wisconsinites off their health insurance, which, combined with other provisions, would jeopardize care for nearly 150,000 Wisconsinites. The Republican plan would also allow the ACA Premium Tax Credits, which save Americans on average $700 each year on their coverage, to expire, jacking up the cost of coverage and putting insurance out of reach for over 80,000 Wisconsin families. Senator Baldwin leads legislation to make these enhanced tax credits for working families permanent.
In Wisconsin, over 1.2 million are enrolled in Medicaid. About 1 in 3 children in both Wisconsin’s rural and metro communities have Medicaid coverage. Severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open. Over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.
Senator Baldwin has been leading the charge to fight back against cuts to Medicaid. In March, Senator Baldwin kicked off her “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” where she held roundtable discussions statewide calling out Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. During each stop, Senator Baldwin heard directly from Wisconsinites who depend on Medicaid and highlighted the dire consequences cuts to the lifesaving program would mean for them and their loved ones.
An online version of this release is available here.
