%AMERICANS WORKERS HAVE LOST
%THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE DUE TO
%THE PANDEMIC AND THAT'S JUST
%BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF
%FEBRUARY AND MAY, ACCORDING TO A
%SURVEY BY THE NONPARTISAN HEALTH
%GROUP FAMILIES USA.
%THOSE NUMBERS CAN BE ADDED TO
%THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE
%NOT INSURED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
%BEGAN.
%WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF
%COVID FOR THE UNINSURED?
%WE ASKED BOBBY PETERSON,
%DIRECTOR FOR ABC FOR HEALTH.
%THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
%NICE TO SEE YOU.
%>> THANK YOU.
%I'M GLAD TO HELP.
%>> SOT NUMBER SO THE NUMBER WE REF
ERENCED
%WAS A NATIONAL NUMBER, BUT
%WISCONSINITES HAVE LOST
%COVERAGE.
%DO YOU KNOW IN WHAT NUMBER?
%>> I DON'T THINK WE HAVE PRECISE
%NUMBERS ON IT, BUT WE KNOW THAT
%UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS WELL OVER
%10% AND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
%HAVE BEEN DISLOCATED FROM WORK,
%WHICH IS WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE
%GET THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE.
%SO IT CREATES A CHAIN REACTION.
%SOME PEOPLE CONTINUED WITH THEIR
%BENEFITS FOR A MONTH OR TWO, BUT
%MORE AND MORE ARE STARTING TO
%LOSE COVERAGE AND LOOKING FOR
%OPTIONS.
%>> I THINK JUST IN THE LAST DAY
%OR SO, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
%TICKED DOWN WITH KIND OF THE
%LATEST JOB NUMBERS IN WISCONSIN
%TO ABOUT 8.5%.
%STILL BAD.
%AND OF COURSE THERE ARE LAGS AND
%THAT KIND OF THING.
%BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KINDS
%OF STORIES THAT YOU'RE HEARING
%FROM PEOPLE?
%>> WE'RE GETTING CALLS FROM
%PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO PIVOT
%FROM THEIR PRIVATE INSURANCE,
%BECAUSE THEY LOST IT THROUGH
%THEIR JOB, TO MARKETPLACE
%COVERAGE.
%WE'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE THAT ARE
%TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THE
%ELIGIBILITY PROCESS FOR
%BADGERCARE PLUS, PEOPLE THAT MAY
%HAVE HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT ARE
%STRUGGLING TO IDENTIFY COVERAGE
%THAT MIGHT BE THROUGH THE
%MARKETPLACE OR THROUGH A
%MEDICAID DISABILITY PROGRAM.
%IT CROSSES THE SPECTRUM.
%WE'RE NOTICING, THOUGH, THAT
%PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING ANXIETY
%BECAUSE OF HEALTH COVERAGE AND
%INSURANCE RELATED TO THE
%PANDEMIC.%>> SO FOLKS LOSE A
N
%EMPLOYER-BASED PLAN.
%THEY MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR
%COVID.
%BUT THAT KIND THING IS VERY
%EXPENSIVE, CORRECT?
%>> YEAH.
%THAT'S GOING TO BE CARRYING THE
%FULL BRUNT OF THE PREMIUM AND A
%LOT OF TIMES IT'S VERY
%UNAFFORDABLE, ESPECIALLY WITH
%FAMILY TYPE COVERAGE.
%IT'S QUITE EXPENSIVE.
%IT CAN BE OVER $1,000 A MONTH
%FOR AN INDIVIDUAL.
%SO IT GETS BEYOND THE BUDGET.
%>> AND YET FOLKS CAN SIGN UP
%BECAUSE OF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCE OF
%LOSING A JOB FOR THE MARKETPLACE
%UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
%BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE
%FINDING THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE
%SAYING THEY CAN'T EVEN AFFORD
%THOSE PREMIUMS.
%AREN'T THEY BASED ON PEOPLE'S
%INCOME?
%AND SHOULDN'T THEY BE
%AFFORDABLE?
%>> THEY SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE,
%BUT IT'S A SITUATION WHERE
%PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE
%FAMILY MEMBERS.
%SOME PEOPLE ARE WORKING.
%SOME PEOPLE AREN'T WORKING.
%THE PRIMARY HEALTH INSURANCE IS
%LOST.
%THERE'S STILL INCOME THAT MIGHT
%PUT THEM OVER SOME OF THE
%OPPORTUNITIES FOR TAX CREDITS
%AND OTHER SUBSIDIES.
%WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE A
%LOOK AT BADGERCARE PLUS AS AN
%OPTION AS A PROGRAM THAT MIGHT
%BE AVAILABLE, AS WELL AS LOOKING
%AT THE MARKETPLACE.
%>> WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE
%WITHOUT INSURANCE AND YOU GET
%INFECTED WITH COVID-19,
%REQUIRING HOSPITAL TREATMENT?
%DO THE BILLS JUST PILE UP?
%>> THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT
%ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE
%FEDERAL CARES ACT THAT ALLOW
%PEOPLE TO GET THEIR TETION AND --
TESTING
%AND TREATMENT FOR COVID-RELATED
%ILLNESSES COVERED.
%SO WE'VE BEEN REFERRING PEOPLE
%TO THOSE PEOPLE, WORKING WITH
%HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO MAKE
%SURE THEY IDENTIFY THOSE FOLKS
%AND THERE'S ELIGIBILITY FOR SOME
%OF THE SERVICES.
%>> YOU SAY THAT YOUR WEBSITE
%OFFERS A LOT OF RESOURCES AND
%QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
%WHAT IS YOUR WEBSITE?
%>> WELL, I WAS REFERRING TO A
%WEBSITE THAT WE PARTNERED WITH
%THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER'S
%OFFICE COVERING WISCONSIN.
%IT'S WISCOVERED.COM AND IT
%PROVIDES A LOT OF INFORMATION
%FOR PEOPLE RELATED TO
%MARKETPLACE COVERAGE, BADGERCARE
%PLUS AND OTHER OPTIONS AND
%INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET
%INSURANCE AND HOW TO KEEP IT.
%>> YOU DESCRIBE SEEING A LOT OF
%MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARISING
%FROM THE STRESS, AS YOU
%MENTIONED BEFORE, FATIGUE AND
%ECONOMIC INSECURITY.
%WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE TO PEOPLE
%SUFFERING UNDER SO MUCH RIGHT
%NOW?
%>> WELL, I THINK IT'S JUST, YOU
%KNOW, -- WE ARE -- WE HEAR THIS
%A LOT, BUT WE'RE IN THIS
%TOGETHER.
%TRY AND WORK ON YOUR SUPPORT
%NETWORKS.
%IDENTIFY PEOPLE THAT CAN PROVIDE
%YOU WITH THE ASSISTANCE THAT YOU
%NEED.
%YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MULTIPLICITY
%OF ISSUES.
%IT'S MEDICAL DEBT, IT'S LOSS OF
%JOB, IT'S HOUSING AND EVICTIONS.
%THE STRUCTURES OUT THERE ARE ALL
%UNDER STRESS, AS WELL AS THE
%INDIVIDUALS.
%BUT WE HAVE TO TRY AND DO OUR
%BEST TO PULL TOGETHER AS A
%COMMUNITY.%>> ALL RIGHT.
%BOBBY PETERSON, WE JUST LOST
%YOUR AUDIO FOR AN INSTANT THERE.
%THE VAGARIES OF THIS KIND OF
%REMOTE PRODUCTION.
%BUT WE APPRECIATE YOUR JOINING
%US AND OFFERING US INFORMATION
%ON THIS ISSUE AND RESOURCES FOR
%PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE
%STRUGGLE.
%BOBBY PETERSON, THANKS VERY
%MUCH.
%