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An e-newsletter from Senator Jon Erpenbach9/23/2012
Presentation from HHS Regional Director Kenneth Munson – Senator Erpenbach invited federal Department of Health and Human Services Regional Director, Kenneth Munson, to a special public meeting on Friday. Munson gave a presentation and answered questions about implementation of the Affordable Care Act. WisEye coveragehttp://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/SegmentDetail.aspx?segid=8910
Senate Health Committee Discusses Health Care Exchanges – The Senate Health, Revenue, Tax Fairness and Insurance Committee, which Senator Erpenbach chairs, held a public hearing on Wisconsin’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the importance of a state health care exchange. Provisions of the Affordable Care Act currently in place and benefitting Wisconsin citizens:
• 43,000 young adults have received health insurance from their parents plan with the higher “age out” parameters.
• Wisconsin’s elderly have saved $65 million on prescription drugs.
• Over one million Wisconsin citizens have received free preventative services like mammograms and colonoscopies.
• Big insurance company abuses like life-time limits on cancer patients are no longer allowed.
The next phase of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of health care exchanges. States, like Wisconsin, can choose to create their own plan or be a part of a federal plan. Exchanges allow people and businesses to shop from a pool of plans that give a tax credit to businesses and people that buy the plans. Senator Erpenbach and Representative Richards are working on a Wisconsin exchange plan – that however cannot be done without Governor Walker. The two wrote another letter to the Governor asking for a bi-partisan and citizen member committee to help Wisconsin meet the deadline for state created health care exchanges. To see the letter click here. WUWM story: http://www.wuwm.com/news/wuwm_news.php?articleid=11197
To view the hearing, use this link to Wisconsin Eye:
http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=6668
Senate Select Committee on Mining Holds Hearings – The Senate Select Committee on Mining, which Senator Erpenbach is a member of, has held two hearings with invited speakers and will hold another this week discussing the possibility of changes to Wisconsin’s current mining laws. Members and the public heard testimony from Tom Evans, Wisconsin Geological Survey, who helped draft Wisconsin’s current mining laws on background for the laws and the who’s and why’s of current law. http://www.wisgeologicalsociety.com/ Also Rebecca Graser, Army Corps of Engineers, spoke about the federal/state partnership that is required for any mining project in Wisconsin – any project that could affect navigable waters in Wisconsin must involve the Army Corps of Engineershttp://www.usace.army.mil/ . Ann Coakley, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, also spoke with the committee regarding the DNR’s role in the current permitting process and the agencies ideas for a friendlier permitting process that still protects Wisconsin resources http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Mines/Nonmetallic.htmlAlso testifying last week: George Meyer, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Anne McCammon-Soltis, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Dave Boetcher, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, James Buchen, Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce. You can listen and watch the hearings at Wisconsin Eye:http://www.wiseye.org/Programming/VideoArchive/EventDetail.aspx?evhdid=6621
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