Contact: Rep. John Nygren (888) 534-0089

Madison:–State Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), Co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, released the following statement regarding a federal judge’s ruling calling the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.

“As a longtime opponent to Obamacare, the federal judge’s ruling comes as no surprise. With that said, I understand that the dramatic impact this will have on millions of families across the nation and nearly 200,000 individuals in Wisconsin. Healthcare is a very personal issue. Uncertainty and potential for change will rightly cause apprehension and concern.”

Republicans in the state assembly, as well as Governor Walker, had the foresight to work to ensure any future uncertainty at the federal level would not mean a loss of protections for pre-existing conditions. Rep. Nygren has been a consistent supporter of covering pre-existing conditions and has voted to protect them, and will continue to advocate doing so.

“This is just another example, in a long line of them, of why states cannot count on the federal government for stable healthcare. How can we be expected to accept federal expansion of Medicaid when the healthcare arena changes day to day? The uncertainty and tumultuous landscape surrounding healthcare in Washington DC has proven time and time again that the best solutions are sought at the state level.”

Most recently, Governor Walker and Republicans in the legislature led the charge to reduce costly premiums and increase access to healthcare. Wisconsin recently sought a federal waiver to allow the operation of a state-based reinsurance plan to stabilize the marketplace. In July, the waiver was approved and average rates are expected to drop by 3.5%.

Wisconsin has a proud heritage of stable, affordable, high-quality care. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ARHQ) named Wisconsin 4th in the nation for highest overall health care quality among all 50 states. AHRQ began issuing its State Snapshots in 2006, and Wisconsin has consistently ranked in the top four states in 10 of 12 years. Additionally, US News recently ranked Wisconsin’s health care system as the 12th most affordable in the nation.

“I believe it is of utmost importance that we as a legislature immediately pass legislation to protect preexisting conditions. I call on my Senate colleagues to join us to get this bill across the goal line in order to provide certainty and comfort to Wisconsin citizens.”

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