Rep. Kind Urges Governor Walker to Listen to the Concerns of Rural Wisconsinites and Expand BadgerCare

Comes on the heels of failure by Congressional Republicans to pass a health care bill and insurers raising costs and dropping coverage in rural Wisconsin

La Crosse, WI - Today, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind sent a letter to Governor Walker requesting that for the health and wellbeing of rural Wisconsinites he give up his partisan crusade and accept federal money to expand BadgerCare. The failure by Congressional Republicans to pass a repeal of the Affordable Care Act signifies that it is time to work together to give Wisconsin's seniors, veterans, and vulnerable rural residents the support they need.

"As I travel to rural communities in western and central Wisconsin I hear heartbreaking stories about people being forced to watch loved ones struggle with addiction or other health problems and not having the ability to afford the care they need. Accepting federal money to expand BadgerCare could help a number of these people. I am ready and willing to work with the Governor to help these residents the Wisconsin Way," said Rep. Kind.

Copy of the letter here https://file///S:/PUBLIC/PRESS/2017/Press%20Releases/kind.house.gov/sites/kind.house.gov/files/2017.08.08%20Rep%20Kind%20Letter%20to%20Gov%20Walker%20on%20BadgerCare%20Expansion.pdf.

Rep. Kind has long called on Governor Walker to accept federal money to expand BadgerCare. These calls are more pressing than ever. If Wisconsin does not accept money to expand, estimates suggest taxpayers could lose out on almost $1 billion in savings. Also, if Wisconsin does not expand by 2019, the state will miss out on the opportunity to receive full federal funding to expand BadgerCare.

Read this original document at: https://kind.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kind-urges-governor-walker-listen-concerns-rural-wisconsinites-and