David Crowley proposes healthcare public option for every Wisconsin household

Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor David Crowley is proposing opening healthcare coverage to every resident through a public option for BadgerCare, the state’s normally low-income healthcare program.

This comes as Republicans in Washington, including Congressman Tom Tiffany, Crowley’s opponent, voted to gut the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Millions lost healthcare coverage, including 45,000 Wisconsinities.

“As governor, I’ll open BadgerCare to all Wisconsinites, which will create more competition and lower the cost of coverage. MAGA Congressman Tom Tiffany showed us he isn’t interested in protecting Wisconsinites’ healthcare, that’s unacceptable,” Crowley said in a statement. “All Wisconsin families should have access to affordable healthcare, no ifs, ands, or buts. With a public option, Wisconsinites who are paying too much, were kicked off their plan, or have never been able to afford it will have the opportunity to access more affordable coverage.”

Democrats have proposed a public option for BadgerCare in the State Legislature since 2018. While in the State Senate, Tiffany voted to strip BadgerCare expansion from the state budget, which would have included a $93 million in healthcare investment for his own district.

Earlier this year, even 17 House Republicans broke ranks to vote to extend the Obamacare subsidies, but Tiffany voted no.

During the 2008 election cycle, a public option was also promised by some Democrats at the federal level prior to Barack Obama taking office, but the ACA was passed without it. There are some Democrats who support a single-payer healthcare system, like Medicare for All, authored by Senator Bernie Sanders, which nearly all of the developed world operates under.