opinion

BadgerCare compromise would help beginning farmers

Wisconsin lawmakers soon could have the chance to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and provide healthcare to tens of thousands of individuals in need.

New legislation introduced by Rep. Daniel Riemer, D-Milwaukee, and Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, would save Wisconsin taxpayers an estimated $241 million over the next two years while accepting federal funding for BadgerCare coverage to an additional 81,000 adults between 100 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Whether it be in the name of fiscal responsibility, social justice or forward thinking, lawmakers in Madison should support this legislation.

Reimer and Erpenbach's Assembly Bill 101 and its companion, Senate Bill 68, present a reasonable compromise between accepting full federal funding for BadgerCare and leaving all of those funds on the table. Just as importantly, it would provide coverage for people who are at or slightly over the poverty line, yet unable to realistically afford health insurance. Similar to a plan already implemented by Iowa's Republican Governor Terry Branstad, this legislation would provide coverage not through a public plan, but via private insurance plans purchased on the health insurance marketplace.

While this compromise plan would benefit the entire state, it would be particularly vital for Wisconsin agriculture. Like other states with strong agricultural roots, the number of farms in Wisconsin is steadily dropping, while the average age of our farmers is rising. In order to preserve Wisconsin's tradition of agricultural excellence, we must find new ways to encourage young people to become farmers. A lack of access to affordable health insurance can be an enormous barrier for our young, aspiring farmers. For many young Wisconsinites, access to BadgerCare coverage could be the support they need to make a career in farming a financially viable option — especially during those first few years after starting a farm.

Aside from making health care more affordable for tens of thousands of people, including a new generation of farmers, this legislation makes sense from a fiscal standpoint. Without it, taxpayers in Wisconsin will continue to pay for citizens in other states to enjoy the benefits of federally funded Medicaid, without seeing any benefit ourselves. The Reimer/Erpenbach bill would allow lawmakers to put Wisconsin's tax dollars back to work for Wisconsin. The money saved instead could be used to mitigate the devastating cuts to K-12 public schools, DNR staffing and the UW System included in Governor Walker's proposed budget.

The bill also addresses one of the main concerns voiced by opponents of accepting federal funding: that in the future, the federal government may be unable or choose not to provide Wisconsin with the promised level of funding. By including language allowing the Wisconsin Legislature to end the expanded coverage if Congress or a future president reduces the federal portion of Medicaid funding, the bill essentially provides the state with an escape clause.

Twenty-eight states, including our neighbors in Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana have accepted full federal funding for Medicaid or have adopted a compromise plan such as the one proposed by Sen. Erpenbach and Rep. Riemer. Twelve of those 28 states have Republican governors, showing that this need not be a partisan issue.

Wisconsin's lawmakers should be doing everything possible to temper the deep budget cuts looming on the horizon. Supporting the Reimer/Erpenbach bill would be an important step in that direction. Not only would it provide affordable health insurance to those who need it most; it's also the fiscally responsible thing to do.

Zachary Herrnstadt is the government relations associate for the Wisconsin Farmers Union.