"Healthy Wisconsin"

[Sadie4629]

I haven't lived in Wisconsin in a very long time, but I still get my hometown weekly paper. Today there was an editorial about the Democratic Health Care plan. It sounds pretty good, but I have some questions.

-There would be a payroll tax of 4%.
This doesn't seem like a lot, but what about people whose healthcare is paid for by their employers? It would be a big increase for them.

-Employers would pay 10.5% of their payroll, including part-time employees.
Would this cause employers to eliminate part-time people, or eliminate overtime? And, would this put small businesses out of business? Would it cause large companies to move out of Wisconsin?

-$20 co-pay for doctor & E.R. visits, and a $60 co-pay for "inappropriate" E.R. visits.
Who decides whether an E.R. visit is inappropriate? Would that cause people to delay visits and possibly cause loss of life in a true emergency?

-Participants can choose their own docs and networks.
Does that mean the doctors can charge whatever they'd like?

-It will cover all state residents under age 65, and would be funded by about $15billion in new payroll taxes.
The bill's sponsors estimate that $17billion is already being spent on healthcare, so why is there a need for new taxes? Shouldn't there be a tax decrease?

-What about the casinos? My DH says that casinos are exempt from state taxes. Who would be covering their share?

-Is there a provision for dental or vision coverage?

The article I read was very short, and obviously doesn't include all aspects of this plan, so I'm probably not getting the full scoop on it. What do you Wisconsin people know about this? And what do you think of it?

[rodeodance]

1. It is for the Common Good. Nat the Repugs are pooping on it.