Why not just take it?

wages. But, as Republicans themselves are fond of pointing out, the insurance plans offered through the Affordable Care Act are not always affordable, especially when you consider the sky-high deductibles and out-of-network markups that come with many of the plans offered for people in this area, who usually have only two or three options for subsidized private plans.

BadgerCare, on the other hand, is a much better fit for those at the bottom end of the income brackets. And, as Gov. Evers pointed out in a press release, the result of expanding Medicaid programs in other states has been better health for citizens: “In states that have expanded Medicaid, more people have access to health care. With more access, more people are able to use preventive health care services, like diagnosis and treatment for chronic conditions, and patients see improved health outcomes. With more people accessing cancer screenings, early-stage diagnosis rates increase. More people are able to access treatment for mental health or substance use disorder challenges, both because they have insurance and because more behavioral health service providers begin accepting Medicaid members. Medicaid expansion is connected with lower rates of death; expansion states have seen a significant decrease in their mortality rates.”

It’s hard to argue with that, but Republicans still do, even when this latest proposal included an additional $1 billion worth of projects that could be paid for by the American Recovery Act. The list of projects released by the governor’s office includes everything from $200 million for broadband expansion grants (something desperately needed in rural areas like ours) to $50 million for veterans housing (who could possibly argue with that?) The list also includes a proposal that would specifically help this area: $50 million for adding mental health beds at North Central Health Care Hospital in Wausau. People on both sides of the political spectrum have pointed out the rise in depression, substance abuse and suicides that have occurred during the pandemic. Lawmakers who claim to care have to explain why they rejected this offer.

We would like to hear from Rep. Donna Rozar and Sen. Kathy Bernier, who represent this area, about why they think it was a good idea to reject the governor’s proposal. We’ve reached out to their offices, but haven’t heard back yet. If either one would like to offer an explanation, we’d gladly run it.