MADISON – Following Governor Evers’ budget address, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s Associate Vice President of Government Relations & Senior Political Advisor Rachel Ver Velde released the following statement regarding the budget’s impact on health care costs:
“As Wisconsin faces the fourth highest hospital costs in the country, making us an outlier in the Midwest, employers and consumers are increasingly concerned about affordability. Unfortunately, Governor Evers’ proposed budget removes key tools that help employers contain costs. His plan inserts costly, top-down government mandates for coverage, limits the ability of payers to prevent unnecessary or harmful care, and weakens health care consumerism. These changes will drive costs even higher, making Wisconsin’s already expensive health care system even more unaffordable.
Wisconsin employers support meaningful reforms that promote pricing transparency and empower patients to make informed choices – without government mandates that increase costs. WMC urges lawmakers to reject these proposals and collaborate with employers on real solutions to control health care costs and improve affordability for businesses and employees.”
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