Only Under Scott Walker — Millionaire’s Kids on Badgercare

Technically, anyone can sign up for Badgercare and pay the full freight, but I’m willing to bet that the program is seen by 99% of Wisconsin see Badgercare as the vehicle by which poorer Wisconsin citizens, espcailly children, get access to healthcare coverage.  Well, 22,000 Wisconsin citizens no longer get access to healthcare via Badgercare because of the policies of Robin Vos and Scott Walker , but the children of millionaire Michael Eisenga, a big donor to Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefish, are on the Badgercare roles

Mr. Eisenga was required by his divorce decree to provide health insurance for his children, so he enrolled them in Wisconsin’s program for low-income families.  He took advantage of scarce state resources because, well, he felt entitled.

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4 thoughts on “Only Under Scott Walker — Millionaire’s Kids on Badgercare

  1. Is this considered good business? Have these people no shame at all? Actually, it’s an excellent argument to have a national health plan. After all, what did the children of Mr. Eisenga have to do with the divorce, with being born in the first place? They are here. They are everyone’s responsibility no matter whose kids they are. Let’s stop messing around and have every child born be entitled to health coverage.

    Michael Eisenga is a “big donor” to Scott Walker? How, then, was he able to do that, to get tax payer coverage for his kids’ health insurance? who’s minding the store? And what does Gov. Walker, the smasher of unions, of VA benefits, of Badger Care have to say about this? Maybe he should give the money back so that Mr. Eisenga can afford to pay for insurance for his kids. I am 83 years old and found out today, when I went to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy, that I have once again fallen through the Black Hole. The “Retail Price” of the medicine is listed at $689.94. My supplementary insurance saved me $361.08 so I only had to pay $328.86. Isn’t that ducky? The clerk in the store was a little concerned since the cost today was so much more than it was “the last time” I picked up that particular med. My political donations are in the $15 – $25, or $30 range–when I can afford it. I’m not eligible for any med. program because I have a pension (retired teacher able to draw on my “delayed wages” that were put into that plan for me). But here’s a guy who has enough bucks to donate to Walker’s war chest but can have ME, through my taxes, pay for his kids’ health insurance. Give me a break!!

  2. why not publish the entire story? instead of a small portion that is very misleading. The fact is that Eisenga and anyone else of his financial standing receive no state subsidy by purchasing insurance through Badger Care. The tax payers pay no portion of his coverage.
    You could claim that he is cheap for opting to only purchase minimal coverage for his kids when he can obviously afford more, but absolutely anyone can buy into the insurance plan for their children.
    Good job misleading an 83 year old retired teacher and getting her all worked up, you should be ashamed.

  3. He didn’t necessarily get any taxpayer money for his kids’ insurance. It is a program designed to assist low-income citizens with payments tailored to those incomes, but that doesn’t mean someone can’t come in and enroll the kids and get zero subsidies. The thing is, he got a bargained designed for the poorest of our citizens.

  4. Badgercare pays providers very low reimbursment rates for services – in some cases not enough to cover all of the costs. For some services, providers can do OK on Badgercare; others may struggle and some providers try to limit how many Badgercare patients they see. Dentists historically are notorious for refusing to accept Badgercare rates. So by using this program, this millionaire is potentially taking a “slot” in some services that might be used by an actual low-income person, and he is also paying providers far less than they might need to charge if they were not accepting payment from a program designed for low income persons. I am all in favor of single payer, and we should not begrudge anyone who has trouble making ends meet the right to use Badgercare, but Badgercare rates would not keep some providers in business and this guy could be doing something more ethical.

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