Washington, DC – Yesterday, Reps. Ron Kind (WI-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), and Mark Pocan (WI-02) sent a letter to House leadership emphasizing the importance of preserving and expanding access to affordable health care coverage as discussions on the Build Back Better Act continue.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP), which was signed into law in March, helped lower health care coverage costs for millions of Americans by expanding eligibility for Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. Wisconsin saw an immediate impact from the passage of the ARP as new enrollment in ACA plans doubled, 116,000 Wisconsinites became eligible for lower cost plans, and monthly premiums fell by an average of 50%. Now, the Wisconsin lawmakers are urging House leadership to build on this progress and make the enhanced ACA premium tax credits permanent.
In the letter, Reps. Kind, Moore, and Pocan write, “If we fail to preserve the enhanced Premium Tax Credits, thousands of Wisconsin consumers could lose access to the health benefits they rely on.”
Additionally, the lawmakers are highlighting the importance of delivering Medicaid expansion to Wisconsin and other states that have failed to fully expand Medicaid under the ACA. Over 90,000 people in Wisconsin would be eligible for comprehensive health benefits at little to no cost to Wisconsinites.
“The Build Back Better Act, as voted out of the House Committee on Budget, promises to provide a permanent option to deliver access to health care for millions of low-income Americans regardless of which state they live in. As many as 90,000 people in Wisconsin could become eligible for robust health benefits at little to no cost if Medicaid expansion is made available in our state…. The priorities outlined above, when taken together, present us with a historic opportunity to invest in our health care infrastructure to ensure Wisconsinites and people across the United States have access to affordable health care for years to come,” wrote Reps. Kind, Moore, and Pocan.
