Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health
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Health Programs

Policies We're Watching Related to Access to Health Care

The most critical policy debates regarding essential health care programs that women and girls in Wisconsin rely on to access care are currently taking place in Congress, which is debating whether to repeal the Affordable Care Act and dramatically alter Medicaid.  For more in-depth information regarding these federal policy debates and how they could affect Wisconsin, please visit Wisconsin Health Matters.

AB 1: "The Pre-Existing Condition Guaranteed Coverage Act"
Description: This bill will prevent insurance companies from denying someone a policy because they have a pre-existing condition (the “guaranteed issue” requirement), refusing to cover services that people need to treat a pre-existing condition (“pre-existing condition exclusions”), or charging a higher premium based on a person’s health status (the “community rating” provision).”
 Co-authors: Sen. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) & Rep. Kevin Peterson (R-Waupaca)

Status: Hearing scheduled for Assembly Health Committee on 1/15/19

SB 266 / AB 365 : Prohibiting  Health Insurance Lifetime Limits (2017-18)
Description: This bill prohibits health insurance policies and plans, known in the bill as disability insurance policies, and self-insured governmental health plans from  imposing a lifetime limit or an annual limit on the dollar value of benefits.
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Co-authors: Rep. Daniel Riemer & Sen. Jon Erpenbach
​

Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing and Trade and Assembly Committee on Insurance.  AB 365 was withdrawn from Committee and replaced by Assembly Substitute Amendment 1, which altered the bill to address issues relating to pre-existing conditions in a manner that caused most of the bill's co-authors to withdraw their co-authorship of the bill.  The amended version of the bill passed the Assembly but not the Senate.

Both bill versions failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session.

WAWH Position: Support


SB 268 / AB 362: Protecting Essential Health Benefits
Description:  ​This bill requires health insurance policies to cover essential health benefits that will be specified by the commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance by rule. The bill specifies a list of coverage requirements including: ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, and pediatric services. 
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Co-authors: Rep. Daniel Riemer & Sen. Jon Erpenbach

Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing and Trade and Assembly Committee on Insurance.  Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session.

WAWH Position: Support

SB 267 / AB 364: Ensuring Affordable Preventive Care Benefits
Description: This bill requires health insurance policies, known in the bill as disability to cover certain 
preventive services and to provide coverage without subjecting that coverage to deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. The preventive services for which coverage is required are specified in the bill. The bill also specifies certain instances when cost-sharing amounts may be charged for an office visit associated with a preventive service.
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Co-authors: Rep. Daniel Riemer & Sen. Jon Erpenbach

Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing and Trade and Assembly Committee on Insurance.  Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session.

WAWH Position: Support

SB 363 / AB 449:  Allow Wisconsin residents to purchase BadgerCare  insurance ("public option" insurance program)
Description: This bill would allow Wisconsin residents to purchase BadgerCare insurance, which is the state's Medicaid plan, at full price as a "public option" for their health insurance coverage.
Co-authors: Rep. Eric Genrich & Sen. Latonya Johnson

Status: Referred to Assembly Committee on Insurance and Senate Committee on Insurance, Housing and Trade.  Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session.

WAWH Position: Support

SB 606 / AB 721: Expand BadgerCare eligibility under the Affordable Care Act
Description: This bill would expand BadgerCare as offered under the Affordable Care Act to cover all adults who earn up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level as soon as possible. Full BadgerCare expansion on January 1, 2017 would allow an additional 83,000 Wisconsinites to receive health care insurance under the program and would save Wisconsin approximately $834 million over the next six years.
Co-authors: Rep. Daniel Riemer & Sen. Jon Erpenbach

Status: Referred to Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and Assembly Committee on Health.  ​Failed to pass before end of 2017-2018 legislative session.

WAWH Position: Support

Background Information:
WAWH Policy Prescription on BadgerCare Expansion
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Initiatives >
      • PATCH
      • ECCHO WI
      • ECCOS
      • Wide Awake in Wisconsin
      • Policy Rx: Our Policy Vision
      • Wisconsin Women's Health Advocacy Summit
      • Health Professionals at the Forefront >
        • Unbiased Care in Women's Health
      • Women Win With the ACA
    • News
  • Take Action
    • Vote! >
      • Vote Early!
      • OutreachCircle
    • Census 2020
    • Know Your Legislators >
      • Meeting with Legislators
    • Media Advocacy
    • Policy Watch >
      • Peek at Policy Blog
      • Democracy & Accountability
      • 2021 Legislative Session Review >
        • Legislator Vote Record 2021-22
      • 2019 Legislative Session Review >
        • Legislator Vote Record
      • Executive Blueprint
      • Health Programs >
        • WI Well Woman Program
      • Economic Security >
        • Paid Family Medical Leave
      • Violence Against Women
      • Reproductive Health >
        • Post Roe Abortion Access
        • SCOTUS
        • Truth
        • Timeline of Reproductive Health Threats in WI
        • RESPECT Women Act
        • "Personhood"
        • Pelvic Exam Consent
      • Maternal & Child Health >
        • Momnibus Act
        • Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Expansion
        • Black MCH Justice
        • Healthy Women Healthy Babies
        • Community Based Doulas
        • WI "Cocaine Mom" Law
        • Patient Privacy & Confidentiality
      • State Budget
      • Health Care Reform >
        • Medicaid Expansion
  • Resources
    • Health Care Coverage
    • Resources to be a White Warrior
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Public Charge Rule
    • Reproductive Justice
  • Connect
    • Events >
      • WI Women United for a Better Budget
      • Belly of the Beast Film Discussion
      • WI Women's Health Congress
  • Support Us
    • Why Support Us?
    • Donate >
      • Foster the Future
    • Shop & Support
    • Workplace Giving
    • Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
    • The Big Share
    • Day In My Shoes
  • #KindnessIsEverything
  • Shop
    • Kindness Is Everything Wholesale