NOW
TO
HEALTH
NEWS
AND
A
BAD % DIAGNOSIS REGARDING
UNPAID
% MEDICAL
BILLS.
% THE
WISCONSIN
HOSPITAL
% ASSOCIATION
REPORTS
A
7.6%
% INCREASE
IN
2018 IN
UNPAID
% PATIENT
BILLS.
% ALSO KNOWN
AS
UNCOMPENSATED % CARE.%THE TAB
TOTALS
A
DEBT
OF
1.2
% BILLION
DOLLARS
OWED
TO OVER
% 150
WISCONSIN
HOSPITALS.
% THESE
ARE
EXPENSES EITHER % PATIENTS
REFUSE
TO
PAY OR
% SIMPLY
CANNOT
AFFORD.
% THE
TOTAL
ALSO
INCLUDES
CHARITY
% CARE
PROVIDED
BY
HOSPITALS
AT
% NO
CHARGE TO
CERTAIN
QUALIFYING
% PATIENTS.%WE
WORK
THROUGH
THIS
% DEVELOPMENT
WITH
BOBBY
PETERSON
% THE
DIRECTOR
OF
ABC
FOR
HELP
% THAT
HELPS
PEOPLE FIND
% AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.%
THANK YOU
FOR
BEING
HERE.
% IN
YOUR
MIND
THE
OVERRIDING % COST OF
THIS
ARE
EFFORTS
TO
% UNDO
THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT
AT
% BOTH THE NATIONAL AND
STATE
% LEVEL.
% >>
WHEN
YOU
SOW
CONFUSION
YOU
% GET
PEOPLE
MORE TENTATIVE
% APPLYING FOR
PROGRAMS.
% THEY THINK
THEY
DON'T
EXIST.
% A LOT
OF
MARKETPLACE
CONFUSION % OUT THERE.
% SO
IT
LEADS
TO
PEOPLE NOT
% GETTING
THE
COVERAGE
THAT
THEY
% NEED
WHEN
THEY
GET
CARE
% OFTENTIMES THEY'RE
UNABLE TO % PAY
FOR
IT
.
% >>
SO
INCLUDED
IN
THIS IDEA
YOU
% SAY
IS
THAT
IN
WISCONSIN
THE
% MEDICAID OF
BADGERCARE
PROGRAM
% YOU
DESCRIBE
THE
ELIGIBILITY
% PROCESS AS
A
CORN
MAZE.
% JUST THE
DIFFICULTY
IN
% NAVIGATING
THE
SYSTEM, THE
CORN
% MAZE LEAVES
PEOPLE
GOING
% UNCOVERED?
% OR WHAT ARE
THE IMPLICATIONS?
% >>
SOMETIMES.% YOU THINK
ABOUT
IT
THERE
ARE
16
% DIFFERENT ELIGIBILITY
FEATURES % BETWEEN MEDICAID
AND
BADGERCARE
% IN
THE
MARKETPLACE
AND WHICH % WAY
DO
YOU
GO?
% PARENTS
ARE DIRECTED
TOWARD
THE
% MARKETPLACE.
% CHILDREN ARE DREKTD
TOWARDS
% BADGERCARE PLUS.
% FAMILIES
MIGHT
HAVE
SPLIT
% COVERAGE, DEPENDS
ON
THEIR
% INCOME,
HOW
IS
IT ATTRIBUTED
TO
% THEIR
CHILDREN?
% IT
CREATES
A
CORN
MAZE
% ELIGIBILITY.%FEELING
YOUR
WAY
THROUGH
THE
% PROCESS TRYING
TO
GAIN
% ELIGIBILITY.%SOMETIMES
YOU
MISS
OUT.% SOMETIMES
YOU
GIVE
UP.
% AND WHEN YOU
DO,
AND
YOU
HAVE % MEDICAL
CONCERNS
AND
MEDICAL
% ISSUES,
IT CAN
OFTEN
GO
UNPAID.
% >>
YOU ALSO
CITE
JUNK
INSURANCE.
% HOW
DOES
THAT
CONTRIBUTE
TO
% PEOPLE NOT PAYING
FOR
MEDICAL
% CARE?
% >>
BECAUSE
THE
INSURANCE ISN'T % PAYING WHAT
IT
SHOULD
BE.
% IF
YOU
THINK
ABOUT
% COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INSURANCE %
THAT
COVERS MOST OF
THE
CARE
% NEEDS.
% INSURANCE
IS
CHANGING
SO
THERE
% IS MORE
CO-PAYMENTS
AND % DEDUCTIBLES.%WE
TALK
ABOUT SPECIFIC
% SOLUTIONS
AND
POLICIES
THAT
ARE
% TEMPORARY POLICIES,
ASSOCIATION
% HEALTH
PLANS,
THAT
REALLY NOT
% AS
ROBUST AS WHAT
WE
SEE
IN
THE
% AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT OR TYPICAL % PRIVATE
HEALTH
INSURANCE.
% >>
WERE
THESE
JUNK
PLANS LIKE
% DURING
WHEN
ACA
WAS
IN
FULL % FORCE THEY
DIDN'T
EXIST?
% >>
THEY CAME
--
THE
TRUMP % ADMINISTRATION
HAS
PUT
FORWARD
% RULES
THAT
HAVE
MADE
IT
EASIER
% FOR THOSE
PLANS
TO
GROW.
% PRIOR TO
THE
TRUMP % ADMINISTRATION THEY
WERE
MORE
% SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED.%>>
WOULD
THAT BE
THE
CASE,
TOO,
% WITH THE KIND OF
CORN
MAZE
OF
% THE MEDICAID
PROGRAM IN
% WISCONSIN?%DID
IT
HAVE
TO
DO
WITH % TINKERING AROUND THE
EDGES?
% >>
I
THINK WISCONSIN DIDN'T
% EXPAND
MEDICAID
SO
WHEN
WE
% TINKERED AROUND
THE EDGES
AND
% SAID
WE
COULD
EXPAND
UP
TO
100%
% FOR
ADULTS
AND
UP
TO
306%
FOR
% SOME
CHILDREN
IT CREATES
% DIFFERENT ELIGIBILITY PATHWAYS.
% WHICH
WAY
DO
I
GO
FOR
MY
KIDS,
% MYSELF, MY
INCOME
IS
% FLUCTUATING.%I
MIGHT BE
ON
OR I
MIGHT
BE
OFF.
% >>
REALLY
COMPLICATED.
% >>
SEASONAL
EMPLOYMENT
OR
% SALES, FARMING
INCOME
THAT
% COULD
DROP
SUDDENLY
BECAUSE
OF
% FUEL COSTS
OR
OTHER
THINGS.% A
LOT OF
VARIABLES.
% IT
IS HARD
FOR
PEOPLE TO STAY % ON
TOP
OF.
% >>
YOU TALK ABOUT
SURPRISE % MEDICAL BILLS.%WHAT
ARE
THOSE?
% >>
THEY'RE
NOT NEW
TO
ME
% BECAUSE
I
HAVE
BEEN
PRACTICING % IN THIS AREA
FOR
30 YEARS.
% BASICALLY SOMETIMES
WHEN
YOU
% HAVE
A
BILL
THAT
WAS
UNEXPECTED
% AND
TYPICALLY
IT'S
BECAUSE
YOU
% ARE
PAYING
BEYOND
THE USUAL
AND
% CUSTOMARY
EXPENSES.% THE
HOSPITAL
SAYS
WE'LL
CHARGE
% YOU
$15,000
FOR
THIS
TREATMENT,
% THE
INSURANCE
COMPANY
SAYS
WE
% ONLY PAY
UP
TO $10,000.
% SO
YOU TYPICALLY
SIGN
A
WAIVER
% AND
AGREE
TO
PAY
WHAT
THE % INSURANCE
COMPANY WOULD PAY.
% YOU
THINK
YOU HAVE COVERAGE BUT
% THEN
YOU
HAVE A
$5,000
BILL
% BECAUSE YOU
HAVE AGREED
TO
% ACCEPT LIABILITY.
% YOU
SIGN A
LOT OF
PAPERS
WHEN
% YOU
GO
INTO
THE
HOSPITAL
OR DO
% THE TOUCH SCREEN.
% SOMETIMES IT
LEAVES
YOU
EXPOSED
%
TO MEDICAL BILLS
AND
LIABILITY.
% >> YOU SAY
WHAT
HAPPENS
IN
THE
% UNCOMPENSATED
AND
CHARITY
CARE
% SCENARIO IS
THAT
IT
GETS
SPREAD
% AROUND TO
OTHER
HOSPITAL
BILLS.
% SO WE'RE BASICALLY
ALL PAYING.
% >> RIGHT, AT
THE
END
OF
THE
DAY
% UNCOMPENSATED CARE
DOESN'T JUST
% VANISH
AND
DISAPPEAR.
% WE
TALK
ABOUT THE
SOCIALIZATION % AND
REDISTRIBUTION
OF
THE
DEBT % TO
EVERYBODY ELSE'S BILL.
% IT
BRINGS
UP
THE
COST
OF
% HEALTHCARE
IN
TERMS
OF
HIGHER
% COSTS,
MORE
EXPENSIVE
SERVICES
% BECAUSE
THOSE DEBTS
DON'T
JUST % DISAPPEAR.
% THEY
ACTUALLY HAVE TO
BE
% ABSORBED.
% >>
ISN'T
THAT WHAT
THE
% AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT
WAS
LOOKING % TO GET
AT EXACTLY?
% >>
RIGHT.
% YOU
THINK
ABOUT IT,
PAY ME
NOW
% OR
LATER.
% IF
WE
WILL
BE
PRO-ACTIVE
AND
% FRONT
END
LET'S
TRY
TO
MAKE
IT
% SEAMLESS FOR FAMILIES AND
KIDS % TOGETHER AS
MUCH
AS
POSSIBLE.
% LET'S
PROVIDE
A
COMPREHENSIVE % LEVEL OF
SERVICE AND
COVERAGE.% BECAUSE AT THE
END OF
THE
DAY
% IF
THEY
INCUR
MEDICAL
DEBT THEY
% CAN'T
PAY
IT
ENDS
UP
WE
ALL END % UP PAYING
FOR
IT IN
THE