Wisconsin group prepares for ruling on Affordable Care Act

At this writing, no one knows how the high court will rule on the Affordable Care Act. But at least one Wisconsin group is strategizing how to salvage elements of health reform if all or part of it is struck down.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is an advocacy group that supports health reform. Polls show the public is divided on the issue. The group’s director Robert Kraig, says there’s been what he calls “a very effective attack” on the Affordable Care Act since its passage in 2010. And with the Supreme Court divided politically, Kraig says it’s possible that the requirement to buy insurance will be found unconstitutional, along with provisions that prevent insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. He says the U.S. Supreme Court decision doesn’t necessarily end efforts at expanding coverage and keeping consumer protections, “If we have the political will to do it, you could restore those provisions at the national level or the state level.”

Two Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Jon Erpenbach of Middleton and Rep. Jon Richards of Milwaukee, have proposed a law that would keep the consumer protections found in the Affordable Care Act. Richards says there are thousands of people in Wisconsin who have trouble getting health insurance because they have expensive conditions to treat, “It’s very common to hear people in their 40s or 50s who have diabetes or have had a brush with cancer who can’t get insurance at all.”

The state bill containing consumer protections found in the Affordable Care Act hasn’t found traction in the legislature. And Gov. Scott Walker has said regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, he plans to wait until after the November elections before moving on health reform.