By Mandela Barnes
Mandela Barnes
Despite his recent continued attempts to take credit for the success of Obamacare in Wisconsin, Governor Walker is directly responsible for the fact that almost 85,000 people, nearly 18,000 in Milwaukee County alone, are currently being denied access to Badgercare.
The governor unduly touts the 81 thousand-plus Wisconsin residents that got coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act as a success of his administration.
However, his political stunt flies in the face of the fact that Wisconsin could have enrolled twice as many uninsured citizens and reduced deductibles by a total of $26 million, had the Walker Administration accepted federal funding for Badgercare.
Protect Your Care, along with other groups and thousands of concerned citizens have consistently warned Governor Walker of the damage he would be doing to Wisconsin families if he refused to accept federal funding for Badgercare.
It was disconcerting to watch our governor put politics over the well-being of his own citizens by rejecting the funds, but even worse to watch him pretend as though he has been advocating for expanded healthcare in Wisconsin after the fact.
No matter your political affiliation, that kind of blatant dishonesty is appalling.
The other side says we need to keep the government out of health care. I think it is important that we keep the politics out of health.
The estimated cost to the state due to the rejection of federal Badgercare funds exceeds $1 million per day.
The Walker Administration can reverse course and accept the funds, giving 84,700 more people access to affordable healthcare through Badgercare, at any time.
For the benefit of his constituents as well as the state budget, we urge Governor Walker to reconsider his decision, but given his self-congratulation on rejecting so many families from affordable healthcare coverage, we are not very hopeful that he will listen.