Press Releases

Representatives Gwen Moore and Ron Kind Help Introduce Medicaid Saves Lives Act

Representatives Moore and Ron Kind helped introduce the Medicaid Saves Lives Act. This legislation would provide Medicaid health coverage through the federal government to eligible individuals in  states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).). The Senate companion legislation was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Raphael Warnock, and Jon Ossoff. Representative Moore released the following statement:

“I am proud to introduce the Medicaid Save Lives Act, which would create an option to help  Wisconsinites and millions of other Americans to access affordable health care through Medicaid in states that have refused to take the federal funding, helping close the Medicaid coverage gap and secure essential care. 

Health care is important to every single American. Yet, for many low-income indivuduals, working every single day, the reality is that they don't have access to employer or private health insurance, and Medicaid fills that gap. That’s why I was proud that the ACA included a Medicaid expansion to help provide quality care to more Americans.

And the results are in: studies have shown that States that have expanded Medicaid have dramatically lowered their uninsured rates; those gaining coverage are healthier; and expansion is even helping to bring down long-standing racial disparities in health outcomes, coverage, and access to care. It also has produced fiscal savings for many states that adopted it. 

Yet, an estimated 4.4 million vulnerable Americans lack access to health care coverage through Medicaid because GOP legislators in 12 states, including Wisconsin, continue to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

Wisconsin’s GOP-led legislature has time and again  refused to expand Medicaid, including in the recently completed state budget. The American Rescue Plan included funds to encourage states like Wisconsin to expand their program, but Wisconsin  legislators are still sitting on their hands, willing to leave $1 billion on the table for our state to make a political point. There’s no other way to put it: it’s stuck on stupid, waiting on dumb to come! These political games only hurt our constituents who would otherwise have access to quality health care. 

This deadly pandemic has only reiterated the need improve access to health care. I will continue to work to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Wisconsinites,” said Rep. Gwen Moore. 

“For too long, the Wisconsin State Legislature has refused to put the health and wellbeing of Wisconsinites first and accept available federal funds to expand BadgerCare,” said Rep. Ron Kind. “This is just plain wrong. Health care is too important to Wisconsin families to be treated like a political football, and it’s time to stop the partisan games. I’m proud to help introduce the Medicaid Saves Lives Act to save taxpayer dollars, support our rural hospitals, and ensure all Wisconsinites have access to quality, affordable health care.”  

Read more about the Medicaid Saves Lives Act here.