Wisconsin Would Start Health Insurance Marketplace, Public Option Under Budget
Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)
Feb. 17 Wisconsin would create a state-based health insurance marketplace and a public option plan in which people likely could buy into BadgerCare, the state s main Medicaid program, under Gov. Tony Evers proposed budget.
The moves could save the state money and provide insurance for many who might lose coverage if the Affordable Care Act is struck down, the governor s office said. Twenty-one states have state-based marketplaces and at least two Colorado and Washington are known to be pursuing public option programs. A public option will provide an affordable alternative for many Wisconsinites who struggle to pay their medical bills and cannot afford the copayments, deductibles and other cost-sharing requirements of plans offered on the marketplace, according to a summary of Evers budget.