NEW REPORT: American Rescue Plan Lowers Healthcare Premiums by Nearly $600 for Wisconsinites

Friday, March 26, 2021

52,000 uninsured Badger State residents are now eligible for tax credits when buying health care thanks to the new law

MADISON, Wis.— As a result of the American Rescue Plan that became law this month, Badger State residents will pay nearly $600 less for health insurance, according to a new report released today by Opportunity Wisconsin. The report also finds that nearly 52,000 uninsured residents are now eligible for tax credits when purchasing insurance. The full report can be viewed here and is posted below.   

“This report shows how the American Rescue Plan is paying immediate dividends for Wisconsinites—by reducing premiums and providing significant tax credits to help residents get access to care,” said Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director. “COVID-19 has exacerbated disparities in healthcare coverage and has raised longstanding concerns about costs. Thankfully, this new law alleviates that burden by lowering premiums and expanding access to healthcare for Wisconsinites.”

Yesterday, Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin sat down with two Badger State physicians on Facebook LIVE to discuss the progress being made in the fight against the pandemic and how the American Rescue Plan is making healthcare more affordable and accessible. 

Dr. Julia Kyle, a pediatric and primary care physician at Confluence Healthcare in Eau Claire, talked about the healthcare savings many of her patients will see thanks to the American Rescue Plan: “It’s a make or break. That may be a month’s rent payment. That’s food for a couple of months. For a diabetic, that’s a couple months of insulin.”  

Report: How the American Rescue Plan 

Lowers Healthcare Costs in the Badger State

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated disparities in healthcare coverage and has raised longstanding concerns about costs. The American Rescue Plan helps alleviate that burden by lowering premiums and expanding access to healthcare for Wisconsinites. 

Lower Marketplace Premiums

Nobody should go without healthcare, especially during a global pandemic. That is why, starting April 1st, the American Rescue Plan builds on the success of the Affordable Care Act by expanding access to tax credits for the uninsured and reducing costs for those who already have healthcare. The law also provides subsidies to cover 100 percent of the cost of COBRA coverage for those who are unemployed but want to stay on their employer provided health insurance.

Impact on Wisconsin

• The average premium on a Benchmark Silver plan on the ACA exchange in Wisconsin will drop by $580.

• 51,900 uninsured Wisconsinites are now eligible for tax credits on the ACA exchange, 31,600 of whom are now eligible for $0 dollar benchmark Marketplace coverage.

• ARP lowers marketplace premiums in Wisconsin for those 400 percent above the poverty line, which is split up here based on age group:

Medicaid Expansion

Wisconsin has already expanded Medicaid coverage to all residents below the poverty line. However, Wisconsin has not taken advantage of the federal funding match by expanding Medicaid under the ACA, which requires states to cover people up to 133% of the poverty level. This has created budgetary and coverage issues for the state. The American Rescue Plan offers states like Wisconsin a 95 percent funding match if they agree to fully expand Medicaid under the ACA. This is a 5 percent increase over the funding match that has been available to states since the ACA was passed. As a result, expanding Medicaid would reduce premiums, expand coverage, and save the state money. 

Impact on Wisconsin

• Even with the limited coverage gap due to BadgerCare, Medicaid expansion would reduce the number of uninsured Wisconsinites by 16 percent and expand coverage to 120,000 people.

• The state is foregoing $1.1 billion in federal funding every year by refusing to expand Medicaid. 

• Medicaid expansion would reduce premiums for Wisconsinites with private insurance by moving less healthy individuals over to Medicaid plans.

• Adult enrollment in Wisconsin Medicaid grew by nearly 23,000 people in the spring of 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19 and the job losses that followed

• As of May 2020, there were 175,893 non-disabled adults without minor children who had coverage under Wisconsin Medicaid.

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WATCH: American Rescue Plan Provides “Make or Break” Relief for Wisconsinites

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin hear from doctors on new law’s impact on affordability and accessibility

MADISON, Wis.— As millions more Wisconsinites become eligible for the COVID vaccine, the same week Americans celebrated the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin sat down with two Badger State physicians on Facebook LIVE to discuss the progress being made in the fight against the pandemic and how the American Rescue Plan is making healthcare more affordable and accessible. 

Dr. Julia Kyle, a pediatric and primary care physician at Confluence Healthcare in Eau Claire, talked about the healthcare savings many of her patients will see thanks to the American Rescue Plan: “It’s a make or break. That may be a month’s rent payment. That’s food for a couple of months. For a diabetic, that’s a couple months of insulin.”  

Wisconsinites earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level can now access health care coverage with $0 premiums. Wisconsin workers on unemployment insurance at any point in 2021 will also have access to care for $0. Many other families will see their monthly insurance premium payments drop due to a new 8.5% cap on premium prices. For example, a 60-year-old couple with a household income of $75,000 could save $1,389 in monthly premiums.

Dr. Rachel Hughes, a Madison area emergency physician and Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member, questioned how Senator Ron Johnson could claim to be focused on our economy while voting against the American Rescue Plan, “I don’t think anyone who’s opposed to this legislation could potentially be for the economy and the real economic situation Wisconsinites are facing right now...When we’re all suffering and we’re all dealing with this horrible healthcare emergency, it’s a very important time to look at the impact of healthcare on our economy.”     

In 2017, Senator Johnson helped lead an effort in the Senate to strip healthcare coverage away from Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions which could now include people who survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, Senator Johnson voted against the American Rescue Plan which reduces healthcare costs. 

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ACA Open Enrollment Extension to August 15 Means More Wisconsinites to Get Covered

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Biden administration announcement comes as Wisconsinites benefit from American Rescue Plan’s health care financial assistance

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement after President Biden yesterday announced the Affordable Care Act special enrollment period would be extended from May 15 to August 15.   

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director

“This extension is huge news for Wisconsinites who need access to quality, affordable health care, especially as we’re still in a pandemic. The Affordable Care Act and the American Rescue Plan are now working hand-in-hand to ensure folks in Wisconsin get and stay covered. This enrollment extension, coupled with the critical financial assistance from the American Rescue Plan, will save Wisconsinites money and keep them healthy.”

Yesterday, Opportunity Wisconsin marked the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act by highlighting how the recently-passed American Rescue Plan builds on the ACA’s success and makes historic healthcare investments to reduce health care costs for Wisconsin workers and families. Wisconsinites earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level can now access health care coverage with $0 premiums. Wisconsin workers on unemployment insurance at any point in 2021 will also have access to care for $0. Many other families will see their monthly insurance premium payments drop due to a new 8.5% cap on premium prices. These changes make healthcare more affordable and provide relief families navigating the uncertainty of the pandemic.

On Equal Pay Day, Opportunity Wisconsin Calls on Congress to Pass Protections for Working Wisconsin Women

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Wisconsin women, disproportionately impacted by COVID, are paid just 81% of men’s earnings

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement on Equal Pay Day today, which marks the day when women will have earned the same amount that white men earned at the end of 2020. Wisconsin women are, on average, paid 81 cents to every dollar their white male counterparts make. What’s more, the pandemic has disproportionately impacted women, dealing a double blow to working women across Wisconsin.   

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director

“The women of Wisconsin have not escaped the harsh realities of the pandemic. Whether it’s serving on the frontlines in an essential job or lack of access to quality childcare, COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted women across the Badger State. To make matters worse, the gender wage gap remains a stubborn barrier for too many.  And while the wage gap impacts all women, it’s felt most acutely for women of color. We’re calling on Congress to prioritize policies that combat unfair pay practices and disparities in order to help Wisconsin women receive the pay they deserve .”   

Wisconsin Gender Pay Gap by Congressional District

COVID-19’s Impact on Working Wisconsin Women

• At the beginning of April 2020, the unemployment rate for women in Wisconsin skyrocketed from 2.6 percent to 18.2 percent, while men only saw an increase to 9.0 percent. 

• Now, approximately 50 percent of the unemployed workers in Wisconsin are women. 

• According to a Census survey, nearly 40 percent of Wisconsin women have experienced a loss of employment income since last March.

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ACA + ARP = BFD for Wisconsin Workers and Families

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

American Rescue Plan makes historic investment in healthcare across the Badger State, building on the Affordable Care Act  

MADISON, Wis.— As we mark the 11th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Opportunity Wisconsin today released the following statement highlighting how the recently-passed American Rescue Plan builds on the ACA’s success and makes historic healthcare investments to reduce health care costs for Wisconsin workers and families. 

Dr. Rachel Hughes, Wisconsin emergency physician and Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member:

“Yesterday we saw over 2 million more Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions become eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and today we celebrate the law that has likely saved many of their lives. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, these Wisconsinites cannot be denied coverage or be charged more for their condition, which for many now includes COVID-19.  

“For years I watched Senator Ron Johnson try to repeal the ACA and strip away these protections. Not only were his efforts unsuccessful, but the American Rescue Plan now builds upon the success of the ACA by improving affordability and expanding access to coverage. During this time when so many Wisconsinites have fallen ill or have lost their jobs, it’s a shame Senator Johnson fought tooth-and-nail against these critical investments.”  

In 2017, Senator Johnson helped lead an effort in the Senate to strip healthcare coverage away from Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions which could now include people who survived the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, Senator Johnon voted against the American Rescue Plan which reduces healthcare costs. For example, a 60-year-old couple with a household income of $75,000 could save $1,389 in monthly premiums.

More “Shots In Arms” As The American Rescue Plan Gets To Work For Wisconsin

Monday, March 22, 2021

Starting today, expanded vaccine eligibility means more Wisconsinites have access to this lifesaving immunization  

MADISON, Wis.— Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement as millions of Wisconsinites are today eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, one week earlier than anticipated. On Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services also announced four additional organizations will be administering vaccines through the federal retail pharmacy program. The American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Biden, includes $20 billion for vaccine distribution, including $7.5 billion to set up vaccination sites across the country.  

Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director:

“Today is a day of celebration for so many across the Badger State, thanks to modern medicine, our frontline healthcare workers, and state and federal elected officials who have made significant investments in the development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Over the past year, Wisconsin has seen an unbelievable amount of loss, but today there is hope. We’ve also seen Senator Ron Johnson constantly amplifying dangerous and debunked pandemic conspiracy theories, in addition to voting against the critical vaccine investments included in the American Rescue Plan. Unfortunately he’s not alone. Wisconsin Congressmen Bryan Steil, Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, Tom Tiffany, and Mike Gallagher also voted against the urgent relief provided by this law. Wisconsin workers and families deserve elected representatives who will prioritize people over political conjecture.”

In a recent profile, the New York Times detailed Senator Johnson’s long history of promoting conspiracy theories stating, “In recent months, Mr. Johnson has sown doubts about President Biden’s victory, argued that the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol was not an armed insurrection, promoted discredited Covid-19 treatments, said he saw no need to get the coronavirus vaccine himself and claimed that the United States could have ended the pandemic a year ago with the development of a generic drug if the government had wanted that to happen.” 

Last week, Opportunity Wisconsin sat down with Senator Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin parents to discuss the historic impact the American Rescue Plan will have on children and families across the state.

NEW REPORT: How the American Rescue Plan Helps Wisconsin Families

Friday, March 19, 2021

MADISON, Wis.— Today, Opportunity Wisconsin released a report summarizing the provisions of the American Rescue Plan that help Wisconsin families the most, including a program that will massively reduce child poverty. 

“Wisconsin families have been hit hard by the pandemic and the American Rescue Plan addresses those hardships while making historic investments in the fight against child poverty,” said Meghan Roh, Opportunity Wisconsin Program Director. “The American Rescue Plan puts money in the hands of struggling families, shores up child care facilities, and gives much needed resources to our schools.”

On Wednesday, Opportunity Wisconsin sat down with Senator Tammy Baldwin and Wisconsin parents to discuss the historic impact this law will have on children and families across the state.

When asked how additional financial support from the American Rescue Plan would impact her, Barbara Cerda, a Milwaukee area mother, responded, “I got my stimulus check this morning, and my first trip was to the gas station to fill up my tank. I had been putting in little bits at a time, and this morning I was able to fill up my tank...Long term, I can pay my rent for six months, I can use that money to fix my car that has been in my garage for the past four months. It means I can buy my children new clothes, we’ve been using our summer clothes.”  [WATCH]

The full report can be viewed here and is posted below:

Report: How the American Rescue Plan Helps Wisconsin Families

Child Tax Credit

For 24 years, the Child Tax Credit has provided assistance to low-income families and lifted millions out of poverty. The American Rescue Plan expands the Child Tax Credit to all children except those with parents earning the highest incomes. It also increases the benefit from $2,000 annually to up to $3,600 per child, delivered through monthly cash payments of approximately $300/month instead of annual payments.

Impact on Wisconsin

• 1,159,000 Wisconsin children under 18 – 92% of all Wisconsin children – will benefit from the expansion of the Child Tax Credit.

• The bill will lift 56 percent (94,000) of the Wisconsin children under 18 who are living in poverty closer to or above the poverty line and 27 percent (46,000) of Wisconsin children under 18 will be lifted out of poverty.

Child Care

The pandemic has exacerbated the desperate need for increased child care in America. That is why the American Rescue Plan includes funding for child care through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Head Start, so that no parent has to choose between work and making sure their child is taken care of.

Impact on Wisconsin

• Wisconsin will receive $224 million in supplemental funding for the CCDBG and $358 million in Child Care Stabilization Grants. This money will go to helping low income families pay for child care and giving child care facilities the funding they need to remain open and safe.

• Wisconsin will receive over $15.4 million in funding for Head Start programs. Head Start currently serves 15,441 Wisconsin children through 276 program locations. 

Schools

We all want our children to return to the classroom and ensure their safety. That is why the American Rescue Plan includes over $125 billion in grants to our Wisconsin public schools to help them implement public health protocols, address learning loss, and help address long term mental and emotional challenges students might face after a year of online learning. Congress’  pandemic Electronic Benefit Program (p-EBT) program has also been expanded, so that no child goes hungry during the pandemic.

Impact on Wisconsin

• Wisconsin will receive $1,540,785,000 for schools, including $77,039,000 to address learning loss and $15,408,000 for after school programs. 

• For the 2020-2021 school year Wisconsin planned to provide $328.2 million in p-EBT benefits to 438,000 children in school at about $35.9 million/month ($82 per child per month). Using these data, extending p-EBT for 438,000 children through three months of summer totals $107.7 million to ensure that Wisconsin children do not go hungry. 

Rental and Housing Assistance

The pandemic has taken an incredible toll on renters and homeowners alike – 1 in 5 renters are behind on rent payments and 1 in 10 homeowners are behind on mortgage payments. The American Rescue Plan provides emergency rental and housing assistance to ensure that families can keep a roof over their heads as they navigate the pandemic. This assistance is particularly important for families, as households with children face higher levels of hardship.

Impact on Wisconsin

• 10 percent of Wisconsinites – 126,000 people – are behind on rent payments and 29 percent – almost 2 million people – are having trouble covering household expenses. The ARP will make it easier for families to cover those expenses, providing $306,000,000 in emergency rental assistance to Wisconsin families.

$1,400 Rescue Checks

The American Rescue Plan includes a third round of relief checks for the American people. Every American earning under $75,000 per year will receive a check, including dependents. That means families will receive $1,400 for each child. A family of four could receive up to $5,600. 

Impact on Wisconsin

• 2,722,268 households in Wisconsin will receive a check, for a total of $6,981,675,000 in rescue checks. 

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“It Gives Me A Lot Of Hope”: Wisconsin Parents Discuss American Rescue Plan With Senator Baldwin

Thursday, March 18, 2021

During Facebook LIVE with Opportunity Wisconsin and Citizen Action, Senator Baldwin highlights how the American Rescue Plan will lift more than 46,000 Wisconsin children out of poverty

[VIEW/DOWNLOAD VIDEO]

MADISON, Wis.— As Wisconsinites start to see the impact of the American Rescue Plan, Opportunity Wisconsin and Citizen Action Wisconsin Northwestern Organizing Cooperative sat down with Senator Tammy Baldwin and Badger State parents on Facebook LIVE to discuss the historic impact this law will have on children and families across the state. 

[READ MORE: How the American Rescue Plan Helps Wisconsin Families]  

“We’ve just passed a measure that could take half of all children currently in poverty out of poverty,” said Senator Baldwin. “Why shouldn’t we have this goal every day, pandemic or not? Why should we not have this commitment that every child has every opportunity?” [WATCH]

When asked how additional financial support from the American Rescue Plan would impact her, Barbara Cerda, a Milwaukee area mother, responded, “I got my stimulus check this morning, and my first trip was to the gas station to fill up my tank. I had been putting in little bits at a time, and this morning I was able to fill up my tank...Long term, I can pay my rent for six months, I can use that money to fix my car that has been in my garage for the past four months. It means I can buy my children new clothes, we’ve been using our summer clothes.”  [WATCH]

The American Rescue Plan cuts child poverty in the United States in half through an expansion of the child tax credit, which will lift over 46,000 Wisconsin children out of poverty. The new child tax credits will deliver up to $1,600 annually per child to the families of over 1.1 million Badger State children.

A recent survey from Opportunity Wisconsin and Change Research found broad support from Wisconsinites for the American Rescue Plan, with large bipartisan majorities in favor of many of the bill’s provisions. 

Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and UW-Eau Claire professor, Dr. Selika Ducksworth-Lawton, moderated the conversation. Members of the media wishing to speak with event participants, should email press@opportunitywisconsin.org to arrange interviews.