Badger Care cuts

Dear Representatives,

I strongly believe that the current depression that the United States finds itself in would be much worse in Wisconsin if it were not for the effective health care coverage supplied by the State's Medicaid programs like Badger Care. Defunding these programs weakens their effectiveness, devalues their use, and will lead to further degradation of working, non-working, and those unable to work in Wisconsin.

For me, a full-time employee raising a family of three whose employer-offered health care costs $15,000 per year for family coverage, changes to Badger Care could mean a total loss of health insurance.  It is feasibly impossible for my family to afford the premiums and deductibles that my employer's health insurance plan mandates.  The $15,000 is in essence nearly half of my yearly salary.

My family is a frugal one.  We do not own cars that require monthly payments.  We do not have cell phones or cable TV.  We have the cheapest internet connection and phone service available and live on a budget.  The depression has made our budget tighter than ever.  But not all people in this country are feeling the same constraints.  This entire debate about affordable health care coverage might be aborted if, for example, the CEO of Aetna did not earn $21 million last year.

It seems to me that in a functional society affordable health care coverage should be available to everyone. Without Badger Care and with the cuts projected, affordable health care coverage will not be available to thousands of Wisconsinites.  The United States is the only country of the OECD members that does not ensure health care coverage for all citizens.  This situation should be very disconcerting for politicians in the wealthiest country.

I urge you to make the decision that benefits the people of Wisconsin the most not the decision that benefits the people of Wisconsin with the most.

Sincerely,
one of your employers