U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Praises Announcement that 139,815 Wisconsinites Have Enrolled in Private Health Insurance Because of the Affordable Care Act

Washington D.C. - Today, the Obama Administration announced that 139,815 people in Wisconsin have signed up for quality, affordable private health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.
 
“The Affordable Care Act is working for Wisconsin and thanks to the reforms we put in place four years ago, 139,815 Wisconsinites have signed up for private health insurance coverage through the marketplace,” Baldwin said, “Even Governor Walker, who has opposed the Affordable Care Act and who continues to support repealing it, has been forced to acknowledge its success in Wisconsin. Just last month, Governor Walker praised the success of the federal marketplace in enrolling Wisconsinites. Today’s announcement is further proof that this praise is well deserved.”
 
Walker has refused to set up a state-based marketplace in Wisconsin and he has supported the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. He also rejected a federal investment to strengthen Wisconsin’s BadgerCare program through the Affordable Care Act. But in a letter to Senator Baldwin last month, Walker wrote, “Wisconsin has been one of the more successful states in enrolling consumers through the federal exchange.”
 
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), total marketplace enrollment for Wisconsin was 139,815 individuals, exceeding the Administration’s enrollment target of 79,000 for the state.
 
“The fact is the Affordable Care Act is helping Governor Walker keep his promise to cut the uninsured rate in half and provide insurance for 250,000 Wisconsinites,” said Baldwin.  “Instead of attacking the Affordable Care Act, he should be celebrating its success in providing families with the quality and affordable health care coverage they want and need.”
 
While Baldwin praised the fact that Wisconsin has successfully exceeded enrollment targets, she also expressed continued concern with Governor Walker’s plan to kick 77,000 people off of their BadgerCare coverage. Last month, Baldwin called on Walker to publically release the number of people his Administration has successfully moved from BadgerCare to the federal marketplace.
 
“The Affordable Care Act did not kick 77,000 Wisconsinites off their BadgerCare coverage; Governor Walker’s own plan did.  He needs to take responsibility for that decision by keeping his promise to transition these individuals seamlessly to the health insurance marketplace. The Walker Administration also agreed to closely track their progress on transitioning the 77,000 people they have kicked off BadgerCare,” Baldwin said, “It’s important that they keep their commitment and let the public know how many of the 77,000 that they have kicked off BadgerCare have successfully enrolled in marketplace coverage so we can be sure that vulnerable individuals are not falling through the cracks. I continue to be concerned that Governor Walker’s plan, which covers fewer people at a higher cost to taxpayers, will result in people becoming uninsured if his Administration doesn’t successfully see to it that these 77,000 people get the health care coverage they deserve and need. I would hate to see the success announced today be wiped away by the Walker Administration’s inability to ensure that the 77,000 Wisconsinites they have kicked off BadgerCare get coverage in the marketplace. We should be doing everything we can to provide people with health coverage, not creating more people without health insurance.”
 
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