Contact: Office of Representative Chris Taylor, (608) 266-5342
Must focus on expanding health care access and affordability in Wisconsin
MADISON – Today, the Legislature voted on two proposals that instead of making it easier for all Wisconsinites to access affordable, comprehensive health care, simply places a Band Aid on the real problems plaguing Wisconsin’s health care system. Senate Bill 10 allows individuals with certain medical conditions to access cannabidiol (CBD) oil and Assembly Bill 69, also known as “Right to Try,” allows individuals to try new, experimental prescription drugs that are in the process of receiving approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) released the following statement:
“Ensuring that every single Wisconsinite has access to affordable health care is absolutely paramount. While the legislation before the Assembly today may help a few patients, legislative Republicans continue to just nibble around the edges instead of getting to the meat of the problem which is what hard working Wisconsin families want us to focus on.
“Instead of acting together to improve the Affordable Care Act, as we sit here today, Congress is considering taking away health care for thousands of Wisconsinites. The number of uninsured patients in Wisconsin would increase by 91 percent under their proposal. This sadly isn’t new for Wisconsin. Legislative Republicans have been preventing Wisconsinites from getting health insurance and medical care for years by turning down millions of federal dollars which could have expanded health care to 85,000 Wisconsinites, and shutting down health centers that provide mammograms and cancer screenings to score political points.
“The real issue for my Republican colleagues is what are they going to do when thousands of their constituents lose access to life-saving health care? Are they going to stand on the sidelines or fight for health care access for Wisconsin’s families? One of the greatest things we can do as legislators is to prevent and end human suffering. We must act now to make sure our working families have access to affordable, accessible health care.”