Wisconsin Hospitals Association President/CEO Eric Borgerding: Statement on ACA subsidies

For all its flaws in desperate need of remedy, the ACA has helped reduce Wisconsin’s uninsured rate by 42 percent and extended and sustained coverage to over 225,000 people, many of whom were previously uninsured.

For the past several months (See two letters, here: www.wha.org/pdf/WHA-Johnson6-2-17.pdf and www.wha.org/pdf/WHA-CSR9-19-17.pdf), WHA has been calling on and working with Congress to try and address the ACA’s shortcomings, avoid the predictable challenges we now face, and find ways for Wisconsin to preserve its coverage gains. Some progress was made in Graham/Cassidy/Heller/Johnson for Wisconsin, but unfortunately, Congress remains unable to address these issues and no one knows if it ever will.

Today, we again call on Congress to act in Washington, but given its demonstrated inability to coalesce around solutions, we also encourage the Walker Administration to explore equitably funded, state-level solutions that empower Wisconsin to strike its own path if necessary. WHA remains committed to working with Governor Walker, Secretary Seemeyer, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Legislature to craft and achieve policies that will sustain the great progress we have made in Wisconsin.