Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Democrats criticize health accounts
Local Democrats attacked Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, on Tuesday for “selling snake oil to the sick” in the Assembly’s version of the state budget.
State Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said Republicans think health savings accounts are the “golden egg” when it comes to fixing the health care system.
“It’s appropriate that we try to crack the myth of the golden egg of HSAs,” Shilling said at a news conference organized by Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
Three different health plans are being considered in Madison as part of Wisconsin’s budget. Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed expanding BadgerCare to cover more uninsured, while Senate Democrats have offered “Healthy Wisconsin,” a state-run system paid for with payroll taxes.
Assembly Republicans have their own budget and proposals to promote HSAs. Huebsch is a strong advocate of HSAs, which allow people to save money tax free for health care expenses that aren’t covered by a high-deductible insurance policy. Advocates say they help control costs because people will make smarter decisions when spending their own money.
Huebsch was not available for comment Tuesday.
Shilling said HSAs “may be part of the answer, but they’re not the only thing we need to be relying on.
“We simply don’t purchase health care like we purchase school supplies, and pancakes and toothpaste,” Shilling said. “Families aren’t sitting around looking for that Sunday circular looking for a coupon for biopsies or some cancer screening or EKG.”
HSAs are used by the “healthy, the wealthy and the young,” Shilling said, calling them “risky and unproven.”
Judi Moseley of Citizen Action said Republicans’ promotion of HSAs “as a solution to the health care crisis is akin to selling snake oil to the sick. Not only will they not cure the cost and access crisis that is afflicting Wisconsin, they will make the disease worse.”
La Crosse County Supervisor Maureen Freedland said price shopping for health care isn’t realistic because every person is different and every medical condition is different.
Citizen Action will hold two town hall meetings about the Senate’s Healthy Wisconsin plan Monday:
Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.
All stories copyright 2000 - 2006 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources.