Friday, September 14, 2007

Uninsured caregivers would benefit from Badgercare Plus

One of the points that has the Wisconsin State Legislature stuck in budget morass is the governor’s plan for universal health insurance, Healthy Wisconsin.(Note: link changed 9-17-7.) The Republicans won’t budge on this radical innovation that would change the entire climate of health care reimbursement in the state.

But there’s one thing many of us, including the Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance and the Wisconsin Direct Caregiver Alliance, can get behind, and that’s BadgerCare Plus. Healthy Wisconsin or no Healthy Wisconsin, this program is a must for many caregivers, whose average monthly income in Wisconsin is $1,700.

Many caregivers tell us that they must choose between having a car, increasingly a requirement for employment, and health insurance. It’s hard to imagine affording either on that income.

BadgerCare Plus is an expansion of the state’s existing healthcare program for families with children who are unable to afford health insurance. The expansion would include individuals and families with no children in the home who meet income requirements.

To help support direct care workers by seeing that they can have health insurance, contact your legislators. If you’re personally affected, tell you story.

There's a link on our website to a factsheet that should help you make your case about BadgerCare Plus and direct your message to the right person.

And please share your stories with us as well!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay... are you at all aware that the Healthy Wisconsin plan you are referring to is not the plan passed by the senate?

In fact, the Senate Healthy Wisconsin plan has nothing to do with the other bad idea you link to at DHFS.

If you want to be an advocate at least get details from which you derive your incorrect conclusions, straight.

By the way - I support your work as caregivers, but if you think the garbage that the senate passed is going to help your profession, then you really don't get it.

Stop listening to their spin and take a close look at the details.

Chris McLaughlin said...

Dear Anonymous,

I changed the link to something more current, but I'm not sure what you are talking about exactly.

I think it would be more helpful if, rather than saying an idea is bad, you'd explain why you think that's the case.

Chris