Budget Delivers on Expanded Health Care Access
Madison,
Wis. —
Today, Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable shared his support for Governor Tony Evers' signing of the 2021-23 biennial budget.
“We have said all along that Governor Evers prioritized access to high quality, affordable health care during the budget development and deliberation process. This budget includes important investments that deliver on that commitment. Among them is fully funding the bipartisan Wisconsin Healthcare Stability Plan (WIHSP)," said Commissioner Afable.
WIHSP was signed into law in 2018 by Governor Scott Walker. Since its implementation, this program has helped keep rates low for consumers. For example, in 2019, Wisconsin's health insurance marketplace saw a
premium rate decrease of 4.2% compared to an estimated 10% increase consumers would have faced without the program in place. Based on a weighted average, in 2020, rates were an additional 3.2% lower than in 2019, and
2021 rates 3.4% lower than those in 2020.
“This budget may not have everything we fought for, but it's an important step forward that builds on our agency's success in expanding health care access," finished Commissioner Afable.