Monday will bring the sixth annual Cover the Uninsured event in Green County. It comes at, perhaps, a pivotal moment in the health care access debate at the federal and state government levels. Hopefully, the moment in time will spark a spirited and informative discussion at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Monroe Clinic's Founders Hall.
Whomever ends up being the Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps the largest discussion after the economy and the Iraq war leading up to November will be health care. Both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton propose a form of universal health care, with the aim of making health care coverage accessible to everyone. Clinton's plan goes a bit further, essentially mandating health care coverage for every American. The Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, strongly opposes universal health care. It will make for an interesting debate between conflicting philosophies. For health care, like so many other issues, there are high stakes in the general election. Universal health care could very well become a reality if a Democrat wins the presidency and the party continues to control the House and Senate.
The same philosophical debate is occurring in Madison as on the national campaign trail. Senate Democrats, led by 27th District Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee, are proposing a "Healthy Wisconsin" universal health care plan that would be bankrolled by a payroll tax. Democrats claim the plan would lower costs as well as cover all residents, making the amount collected in payroll taxes less than what is currently paid in premiums. Republicans, including 80th District Assemblyman Brett Davis of Oregon, say government-run health care would drive up costs and be a disaster. They propose lowering costs through creating more educated health care consumers and making tax credits available.
Both Davis and Erpenbach will be attending Monday's event. It would be interesting to hear the two conflicting philosophies presented and questioned during the discussion.
While Wisconsin is one of the strongest states nationally in terms of health care access, it remains a critical issue in Green County.
Recently released numbers from the 2004-2006 Wisconsin Family Health Survey, from the state Department of Health and Family Services, lists Green County as having 19 percent of its population uninsured during that time period. The sample size for the survey (180 people) was small, bringing that percentage somewhat in question. But it isn't too far out and away from statistics from the 2007 Wisconsin County Health Rankings that showed Green County with an uninsured rate of 12 percent.
So, while access may not be as urgent of an issue statewide, it is locally. Making Monday's event all the more relevant.
Whomever ends up being the Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps the largest discussion after the economy and the Iraq war leading up to November will be health care. Both Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton propose a form of universal health care, with the aim of making health care coverage accessible to everyone. Clinton's plan goes a bit further, essentially mandating health care coverage for every American. The Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain, strongly opposes universal health care. It will make for an interesting debate between conflicting philosophies. For health care, like so many other issues, there are high stakes in the general election. Universal health care could very well become a reality if a Democrat wins the presidency and the party continues to control the House and Senate.
The same philosophical debate is occurring in Madison as on the national campaign trail. Senate Democrats, led by 27th District Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee, are proposing a "Healthy Wisconsin" universal health care plan that would be bankrolled by a payroll tax. Democrats claim the plan would lower costs as well as cover all residents, making the amount collected in payroll taxes less than what is currently paid in premiums. Republicans, including 80th District Assemblyman Brett Davis of Oregon, say government-run health care would drive up costs and be a disaster. They propose lowering costs through creating more educated health care consumers and making tax credits available.
Both Davis and Erpenbach will be attending Monday's event. It would be interesting to hear the two conflicting philosophies presented and questioned during the discussion.
While Wisconsin is one of the strongest states nationally in terms of health care access, it remains a critical issue in Green County.
Recently released numbers from the 2004-2006 Wisconsin Family Health Survey, from the state Department of Health and Family Services, lists Green County as having 19 percent of its population uninsured during that time period. The sample size for the survey (180 people) was small, bringing that percentage somewhat in question. But it isn't too far out and away from statistics from the 2007 Wisconsin County Health Rankings that showed Green County with an uninsured rate of 12 percent.
So, while access may not be as urgent of an issue statewide, it is locally. Making Monday's event all the more relevant.
