Kathleen Vinehout

Exchange Tackles Rising Health Costs

October 10, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

“Rising health costs are the single biggest problem we face,” the Menomonie non-profit administrator told me. She saw double digit inflation in health insurance costs for years. “We are having a serious talk with our employees about options. None are good.”

“With the drop in milk prices,” the Tomah dairy farmer told me. “Health premiums now take up a quarter of our milk check.” Insurance premiums for the farmer and his brother add up to over $900 a month. “What can you do to help?” he asked.

This week I unveiled a bill to create affordable health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals. An exchange is a competitive marketplace where health insurance companies compete for business.

For small businesses, farmers and others who buy insurance on their own, a well run exchange does two things. First, exchanges give small groups big buying power. No longer are you on your own buying insurance for just yourself or your business.

Second, the exchange provides information not now available to small businesses and people who buy insurance on their own. Consumers can clearly compare plans.

Little in the Governor’s “Jobs Package” Deals with Jobs

October 4, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

When I heard the Governor had convened a “Special Session on Jobs” I was anxious to take look at the proposals.

Business owners tell me they need access to capital, lower health insurance costs and a skilled workforce. Just last week the Eau Claire Leader Telegram headline read Employers: Jobs are there, Skills are not.

 

Being from the country, I like to kick the tires and lift up the hood before I buy anything. Was anything that small business owners needed on the list?

This weekend, I got down to the tire kicking level. Amazingly, I found something besides ‘jobs’ on the agenda.

There are a few bills that help make it easier for businesses to get loans. One bill would make credit for farmers easier to obtain by expanding state loan guarantees; another bill increases the cap on loan guarantees for small businesses. There are several bills that create tax credits for investments.

Nothing on the list deals with rising health costs. Very little addresses the lack of skilled workers.

And who would have guessed a bill to protect drug companies and medical device companies from lawsuits if their product had FDA approval would bring jobs to Wisconsin?

Investing in Higher Education Reaps Rewards for All

September 26, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

“Tuition is SO expensive,” a local business owner told me. She shared the sacrifices her family makes to keep their oldest son in college.

“My husband has been away for three weeks,” she continued. The time-and-a-half her husband earned working out-of-state made the difference between sending and not sending their son to college.

At a time when most agree the road to prosperity leads through college, the state is paying less and struggling families are paying more for college. Deep budget cuts this year forced most colleges into a 5.5% tuition increase. Many families tell me it’s harder to pay college bills.

 

Parents know a child’s future is improved with a college education. Average earning for a college graduate more than doubles the average earning of a student without a high school diploma. Future jobs increasingly require post-high school education.

Helping our best and brightest obtain a college education helps raise the earnings of the entire state. According to UW officials raising the education level of Wisconsin residents to that of Minnesota means $29 million more in the pockets of folks in our state.