Letter to the editor

Walker administration threatens care for poor

The Walker administration has set in motion plans to deprive an estimated 53-65,000 Wisconsinites of their access to affordable health care.

The state has requested permission from the federal government to make changes in Medicaid-related funding that would cut costs by $554 million over two years by raising premiums and tightening eligibility requirements for BadgerCare and other programs for the poor. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau projects that this could result in 65,000 people losing access to health care, including thousands of children.

The state has requested this waiver in too short a time to realistically expect approval from the federal government. If the feds aren’t able to respond by Dec. 31, then according to current state budget law, the entire BadgerCare Plus program shuts down, leaving 53,000 low-income adults uninsured.

Under either scenario, the people of Wisconsin (especially the poorest among us) lose as the Governor continues to balance the budget on the backs of those who have the least.

If you’re concerned about public health in our state, join me in signing the Save Badger Care petition, which has already gathered nearly 15,000 signatures. You can find it online at http://signon.org/sign/save-badgercare.

We must insist that our elected state offi cials prevent the implementation of this cruel policy. Our state senators and representatives should remember their many constituents who depend on Badger Care and reject these cuts.

We must put them and the Governor on notice that this is not an acceptable way to treat our most vulnerable neighbors. I’m not broke, most of us aren’t broke, and Wisconsin is not broke. We can afford to do right by all our citizens.

Thomas R. Smith
River Falls