U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Praises Announcement that Over 7 Million Americans Have Enrolled in Private Health Insurance Because of the Affordable Care Act

Washington D.C. – The White House has announced that over seven million Americans have signed up for quality, affordable private health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.

“The Affordable Care Act is working and thanks to the reforms we put in place four years ago, over seven million Americans have signed up for private health insurance coverage through the marketplace,” Baldwin said, “Even Governor Walker, who supports repealing the Affordable Care Act, has praised the fact that over 70,000 Wisconsinites have enrolled in the federal exchange. We know that some politicians will carry on their calls for repealing the Affordable Care Act because they want the health care law to fail. But we aren’t going back to the days when insurance companies could drop your coverage because you get sick, get older, or have a baby. We aren’t going back to the days when insurance companies were charging whatever they want when you get sick and jacking up premiums and deductibles because of a preexisting condition.”

In a letter to Senator Baldwin last week, Walker wrote, “Wisconsin has been one of the more successful states in enrolling consumers through the federal exchange.”

As of March 1, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), total enrollment for Wisconsin was 71,443 individuals. Walker has supported repealing the Affordable Care Act and has refused to set up a state-based exchange in Wisconsin. He also rejected a federal investment to strengthen Wisconsin’s BadgerCare through the Affordable Care Act.

While Baldwin praised the fact that Wisconsin was poised to exceed enrollment targets once the final numbers are released this month, she also expressed continued concern with Governor Walker’s plan to kick 77,0000 off of their BadgerCare coverage. Last week, Baldwin called on Walker to release publically 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 report out to the public their progress on transitioning the 77,000 people they are kicking off BadgerCare,” Baldwin said, “It’s important that they keep their commitment to let the public know how many of the 77,000 they are kicking off BadgerCare are 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. This should be a concern to Governor Walker as well given that he has promised to cut the uninsured rate in half and provide insurance for 250,000 Wisconsinites.”