© 2024 WXPR
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Report Says Small Businesses Pay Higher Health Rates

hypescience.com

A report shows the lack of extra federal funding in Medicaid and other factors have lead to what one progressive-leaning group says are higher health coverage costs  for Wisconsin small businesses compared to Minnesota.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin Executive Director Robert Kraig gives Rhinelander as an example..

"....so in Rhinelander it is literally 28% higher than it is in Minneapolis...we think that has a lot to do with how both states are approaching the Affordable Care Act...."

The report indicates Minnesotans pay..on average.. about $50 bucks a month less for both the silver and gold plans offered under Obamacare. Rhinelander was fifth highest among Wisconsin metro districts with an average employer monthly cost of $485 dollars. Wausau was seventh at $465 dollars.

Kraig says one of the largest differences is Minnesota went along with federal funding guarantees for Medicaid through Obamacare and Wisconsin did not...

"....if you have more uninsured people because you don't take the money, then that causes cost-shifting, because they go to the hospital, the emergency room, the costs get shifted onto private insurance. You also have more higher-risk people be in the insurance market where they could have been covered by Badgercare....."

Walker Administration officials have repeatedly said that by taking the federal money there would be no guarantees that the extra funding would be there in future years, leaving the state to pick up the tab for the extra costs.

The full Citizen Action of Wisconsin release is on their website.

Up North Updates
* indicates required
Related Content