For Immediate Release
October 16, 2018
Contact: Alex Japko, alexj@wisdems.org
2.4 Million People in Wisconsin Have Pre-existing Conditions
Marquette Poll: 78 percent said the ACA’s requirement that preexisting conditions should be covered by insurance companies is “very important” to them.
The walls are closing in on Scott Walker and his disastrous health care record.
The Washington Post reported that during a campaign stop in Milwaukee yesterday, Walker told Wisconsin voters to not be “distracted by that [pre-existing conditions] debate.”
It is a pretty tone deaf statement coming from a governor who is part of a lawsuit to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions. It’s especially callous considering experts agree that the governor’s proposed alternatives “would fall well short of the protections provided in the federal Affordable Care Act Walker is trying to overturn.” Right now, an estimated 2.4 million Wisconsinites have a pre-existing condition.
It’s not the only piece of evidence from yesterday that shows Walker is desperate to distract from his health care record. Politico reported that Walker is now slow-walking his Medicaid reforms in fear of the political backlash during a tough campaign:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sought for years to put Medicaid recipients to work. Now federal officials have given him most of what he wanted, but he’s delaying the process for fear the changes will doom his flailing reelection bid, say three federal officials familiar with the deliberations.
Walker has good reason to be scared. According to an NBC/Marist poll from last week, health care is the top issue in the race. And in the most recent Marquette poll, 78% of respondents said covering pre-existing conditions is “very important” to them. Yet Walker calls it a distraction?
“The fact that Scott Walker had the audacity to tell Wisconsin voters to not get ‘distracted’ by his threats to pre-existing condition protections shows just how out of touch he is,” said DPW spokesperson Alex Japko. “Walker has worked to undermine protections for the 2.4 million Wisconsinites living with a pre-existing condition for years, and now he’s trying to pretend like it never happened. Walker’s disastrous record on health care is catching up with him, and Wisconsin voters will hold him accountable in November.”
