Wisconsin Health Insurance Cost Crisis

Rising health insurance costs are a concern in Wisconsin , especially among public school teachers. Health insurance costs concern both employers and individuals. 2004 was the fourth year in a row that the state saw a 20 percent increase in health insurance costs. Among large employers, insurance costs in Wisconsin are said to be 20 percent higher than the national average.

What are some possible reasons for high costs of health insurance in Wisconsin ? First, Wisconsin 's health care providers are reimbursed at a lower rate by the federal government than other states. Wisconsin 's rate of payment from Medicaid is 45 th in the country, and hospitals and other providers are affected by this lower rate.

A second possibility for higher costs in Wisconsin has been raised—that of the state's high obesity rate, which is 13 th from the bottom of all the states. Obesity of course contributes to fatal and chronic conditions such as heart attacks and high cholesterol.

Solutions to Wisconsin Health Insurance Cost Crisis

In August 2004, Wisconsin 's ALF-CIO called for radical changes to the state's health insurance climate. The labor organization highlighted the following problems in both Wisconsin and across the nation: double-digit increases in premiums for employers and employees; increased costs of care for the uninsured; and the effects of insurance costs on firms' ability to compete.

The Wisconsin group proposes a universal plan based on the state's success with distributing workers compensation and unemployment insurance. The AFL-CIO's plan would be state-administered and available to all employees, private and public, with the option for people not in that category to buy into the health insurance plan.

On the other hand, Wisconsin 's rate of uninsured has consistently been one of the lowest in the nation. In 2003 the number was estimated around six percent of the state's population, or 323,000. The state Department of Health and Family Services provides updated information on health provider costs.

The above contradictions in Wisconsin 's health insurance cost crisis are concerning many state residents, and are being addressed currently in the state legislature.

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