Patrick Marley

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON – In his second day on the job, Gov. Tony Evers signed executive orders Tuesday to study expanding health coverage and providing insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

The Democratic governor campaigned heavily on both issues but is limited in what he can do on them without agreement from Republicans who control the Legislature.

As a result, the pair of executive orders Evers signed Tuesday are focused mostly on studying the issues and making recommendations, rather than implementing changes to state policies.

One order directs the state Department of Health Services to develop a plan to expand the state's BadgerCare Plus health care program for low-income people under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Republican lawmakers have fiercely opposed the idea. The issue is expected to come to a head this year as Evers and lawmakers work on a state budget that will determine whether the state taps into additional federal aid through Obamacare.

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The second order tells state agencies to prepare plans to find ways to protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, bolster consumer protections, improve the public's understanding of insurance, and require insurers to make their costs and terms easily understandable.

Evers has said the best way to protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions is to keep the Affordable Care Act in place. He campaigned on getting Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the law.

In December — after Evers won the election but before he was seated — Republicans approved a law giving lawmakers instead of the governor control of that lawsuit and other litigation. So far, they have kept the state in the Obamacare lawsuit.

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GOP lawmakers last year tried and failed to pass a bill to protect pre-existing conditions.

GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester has said he will kick off the new session with a similar bill, but its prospects in the Senate are uncertain. Evers has said any state legislation is inadequate compared with the Affordable Care Act.

Evers' stance drew opposition Tuesday from Rep. John Nygren, a Marinette Republican and co-chairman of the Legislature's budget committee.

"Going on record stating that what the Legislature passes to protect pre-existing conditions will be insufficient isn't the step towards unity that the governor called for (in his inaugural speech)," Nygren said in a statement. "In fact, it’s quite the opposite."