MADISON, WI – Today, the Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee voted down a key budget provision proposed by Gov. Tony Evers. Republicans—including Sen. Tom Tiffany—voted to remove the funding for a Badgercare expansion from the state’s budget.
Adopting the proposal would bring more than $1.6 Billion in direct healthcare investment to Wisconsin, making a significant impact in individual communities across the state.
For example, in counties that make up Sen. Tiffany’s district alone, new investments, funded by federal tax dollars their constituents already paid, would include;
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$6.4M for the district’s hospitals
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$2.98M for long term care
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$2.1M for dental care
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$1.9M for behavioral health
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$1.98M for combating childhood lead poisoning
All in all, Sen. Tiffany today voted NO on a total of $93 million for his own district, choosing to side with Republican Party bosses in Madison rather than his constituents in Senate District 12.
A recent Marquette Poll found that 70 percent of Wisconsinites support Governor Evers’ plan to expand state’s Medicaid program, and a separate study found that access to Medicaid would drastically increase economic mobility among Wisconsinites.
In addition, a new report released yesterday found that providing expanded access to Badgercare under this plan would help to fight the opioid crisis in Wisconsin and lower premiums for the individual market by 7-11%.
When will Sen. Tiffany stop playing politics with his constituents’ health care, and start doing what’s right?
