Wisconsin Physicians Weigh in on the PPACA

Insuring Resources Commentary:
So what do Wisconsin physicians think of the newly enacted health insurance reform law of the land- the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? Well, for the most part they like it, but they too, would like to see more emphasis on quality and efficiency. That speaks volumes doesn't it? Please see the statement below from the Wisconsin Medical Society.

I hope readers don't see this is as self-serving when I post opinions that agree with my take on this legislation. If you look back at the beginning of this blog in August 2009 you'll see that I have been a consistent advocate for payment reform and for Wisconsin's quality and efficient care.

As I've noted all along Wisconsin is in a pretty good place overall when it comes to our health care and health insurance systems.

1) We have numerous health plans that focus on quality and efficiency that are seen as national models.

2) We have a very low number of uninsured persons due to Wisconsin's BadgerCare program which provides greater Medicaid access to low-income individuals than the PPACA.

3) We have perhaps the strongest set of proactive insurance regulations in the nation.

4) We possess additional safety net programs like our Health Insurance Risk Sharing Program (www.hirsp.org) and Medicaid Purchase Plan (http://dhs.wi.gov/medicaid/Publications/p-10071.pdf) that together cover more than 30,000 Wisconsinites.


Wisconsin is a national model for how reform should be done. Its a pity our Congressional leaders couldn't expand Wisconsin's models nationwide.



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Reaction to health care reform legislation mixed
Madison (March 22, 2010)—“Members of the Wisconsin Medical Society have advocated for access to high quality health care for all patients in Wisconsin since the organization’s inception in 1841. Yesterday’s passage of health system reform (Patient Protection Affordable Care Act) by the U.S. House of Representatives extends coverage to millions of Americans who are currently uninsured, eliminates both lifetime caps on coverage and insurers’ ability to deny coverage for children because of pre-existing conditions. These are definitely steps in the right direction.

“At the same time, many issues remain unresolved, such as national lawsuit reform and the permanent fix of Medicare’s flawed payment formula, which penalizes cost-efficient states such as Wisconsin and threatens access to care for our seniors.

“Wisconsin physicians have been recognized nationally for providing the highest quality care at a low cost, and we support payment efforts such as those championed by Rep. Ron Kind that focus on value, not volume. Because Wisconsin’s health care safety net is already severely stressed, we are concerned about how this legislation and the subsequent reconciliation bill will impact the delivery of care in our state.”

Statement attributable to Robert Jaeger, MD, President, Wisconsin Medical Society.