Chippewa Valley Lawmakers Call for BadgerCare Expansion

Chippewa Valley lawmakers gathered at The Community Table in Eau Claire on Friday, calling for an expansion to Wisconsin’s BadgerCare program.

State Representative Christian Phelps and State Senator Jeff Smith joined local community leaders to express their support for recently introduced legislation that would expand access to BadgerCare. If passed into law, more residents would have the option to buy into BadgerCare even if their income isn’t low enough to qualify for Medicaid.

“The BadgerCare public option would be the biggest step that Wisconsin has ever taken toward treating healthcare like a human right instead,” said State Representative Phelps. “It would provide stability, it would make sure that people’s ability to go to the doctor is the main determinant in whether they go to the doctor, and not their ability to afford it.”

The legislation would allow individuals and small business owners to buy into BadgerCare on a sliding scale based on their income. Chippewa Valley small business owners in particular have expressed concerns over the rising cost of health insurance. They’re also struggling with the rising cost of housing and child care as well as the impact of tariffs on their businesses, sometimes forcing them to layoff staff or consider closing entirely.

Increasing the pool of funding going into BadgerCare would also provide increased stability for healthcare providers. Inadequate Medicaid reimbursement was a commonly cited explanation for the HSHS closures in the Chippewa Valley two years ago, and recent changes at the federal level have placed rural hospitals under even more strain.

The legislation was not brought to the floor for consideration by Republican State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos before adjourning for this session.