A progressive-leaning group says Wisconsin's health insurance rates are much higher than Minnesota's. A state spokesperson says the group is not comparing apples to apples and the report is politically-motivated.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin says they've looked at Wisconsin's health insurance rates under the Affordable Health Care Act and found a large difference in costs between the two states. At the heart of the issue is the rejection of federal funds under Obamacare by Wisconsin to help fund health care for low income people.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin says that has contributed to higher health premiums under Obamacare here compared to Minnesota where they took the federal money. Kevin Kane says it sticks out in western Wisconsin where he notes St. Croix county's rates are 174 percent higher than just over the Mississippi River.
Citizen Action's Kevin Kane talks about rates in Rhinelander...
"....places like Rhinelander would see 71% higher for a bronze plan or 54% higher for a silver plan or even 70% higher for a gold plan..."
Similar numbers were seen for Wausau.
The Walker Administration has said they rejected the money fearing loss of funding should Obamacare be overturned. Citizen Action said they also were having difficulty getting documents under Open Records from the state.
A spokesperson from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance...J.P. Wieske...said they didn't want to be recorded for this story but did say over the phone that Citizen Action is not comparing apples to apples. He said new rates for Wisconsin are set to be released November 6 and rate changes are likely. He says the state's 2014 rates are on their website. He said Citizen Action is a political group attempting to make a political point and their numbers weren't accurate given the new numbers coming out. Wisconsin's numbers will be released shortly after the November election.
Kane says the demographics and health numbers of the two states are very similar so it is surprising there is so much disparity.
The Citzen Action of Wisconsin report is here. The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance website is here.
