Battleground Wisconsin

Media Call: County Latino Health Enrollment Rankings

During Latino Health Care Week of Action, ranking of WI Counties on Latino Affordable Care Act enrollment will be released Tuesday

Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Covering Kids & Families will host a media call to release for the first time rankings of Wisconsin counties on Latino enrollment in the Affordable Care Act.

Latinos are Wisconsin’s fastest growing constituency, and are spread across the entire state. Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act is a particular concern in the Latino community because information has been slower to reach them due to cultural and language barriers.

Using the most recent data, Citizen Action will show how many Latino residents are estimated to be eligible for Healthcare.gov in counties across the state and what percent of those eligible are confirmed as enrolled so far.

Locations for the Spanish speaking for enrollment help across the state will also be shared on the call. Open enrollment for 2016 ends on January 31st.

The research on Wisconsin Latino enrollment is being released during Latino Week of Action, and national effort to improve health care enrollment for Latinos.

2016 starts with a whimper, as Paul Ryan orchestrates a 62nd repeal the Affordable Care Act, symbolically taking healthcare away from 22 million Americans. We dig into President Obama’s common sense gun safety reforms, the right wing gun culture, and the politics of gun control. We review the latest racist invective spewing from right-wing state legislator Bob Gannon, and Wisconsin's continuing economic decline under Walker's failing economic policies.

Our final podcast of 2015 reviews Citizen Action’s stunning new report on healthcare costs in Wisconsin. The report reveals large health insurance cost disparities which are having devastating economic impacts and closing off access to health care. We also discuss race-baiting Rep. Bob Gannon (R-Right Wing Suburbs) who called this week for vigilante shootings reminiscent of a Charles Bronson "Death Wish" movie. We also talk about the latest round of bad job reports and Gov. Walker’s shameful effort to blame workers, and the speculation of insiders about a potential brokered GOP convention that could nominate House Speaker Paul Ryan for President.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin is releasing the 10th annual Wisconsin Health Insurance Cost Ranking report Monday morning on a statewide media call.

In addition to providing new numbers and cost rankings for 2016, this year’s report includes data on the historic rates of health insurance inflation for each city. This year’s report also provides data on the quality of health insurance plans offered in each city and region.

For the first time, this year’s report will provide composite health insurance cost rankings that include premiums and deductibles for all major types of insurance by Wisconsin metro area.

The report finds a large disparity in health insurance costs and inflation between cities and regions of Wisconsin.

We discuss the victory for UAW Local 883 Kohler workers in their 32 day strike. Workers will see significant wage increases along with improvements in healthcare and pension. We also review the gutting of campaign finance laws, a Democratic bill to repeal and replace the discredited WEDC, and new data showing that Walker’s rejection of federal medicaid money will cost the state $1.07 billion. Also in our Paul Ryan watch segment, the New York Times delves into the politics of Ryan’s new beard. Finally, we announce Citizen Action election endorsements for U.S. Senate, Milwaukee County Executive, and Milwaukee Mayor.

We discuss the stunning news that 64% of GOP primary voters support Trump’s unconstitutional call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. How will this turn towards fascism impact Trump’s ability to win the nomination and the future of the American experiment? We also talk about new revelations about Walker’s attacks on open records and transparency, Walker hints that he might seek re-election, and another Republican governor's decision to accept federal Medicaid money. We also have the latest installment of our Paul Ryan Watch update.

We discuss news that Wisconsin household incomes took a sharp downturn since 2009, while Assembly Democrats call for an Extraordinary Session on jobs and the discredited WEDC. Senator Ron Johnson and Senate Republicans voted this week, for the 16th time, to repeal health care from 16 million Americans. Our weekly Paul Ryan Watch finds him talking about cutting Medicare and Medicaid. GOP state senator Rick Gudex will not seek re-election and Mount Horeb demonstrates real community support for a transgendered child.

We welcome Kevin Kane, Citizen Action Organizing Director, to discuss the continued shift in public opinion in support for moving beyond the ObamaCare fight and the unique opportunity progressives have on health care in the 2016 elections. We discuss the on-going strike at Kohler, and encourage podcast listeners to donate money or food and visit the picket line this Thanksgiving weekend to support the workers fighting on the front lines of the battle for economic justice. Also we discuss Madison and Milwaukee educators voting overwhelmingly to re-certify their unions, and the discredited WEDC hireing a 6th CFO in 4 years as the public opposition to the agency grows. Have a great Thanksgiving Wisconsin!

We discuss the worker strike at Kohler Co. with former UAW Local 883 president & current UAW Region 4 Representative Pete Behrensprung. We talk about the history between the union and the company, key issues at stake and how you can help. We provide details on this Saturday’s mass picket from 9am to 3pm. Robert educates us on UW graduate student assistants efforts for a new pay plan. Jorna has another installment of the Paul Ryan Watch - including Paul’s inquiring into what coffee their office should switch to. We shame Rep. Kremer and Sen. Nass for their bullying of transgendered school kids and we review another dysfunctional week at WEDC.

We discuss the surprising announcement that Rep. Robin Vos is receptive to overhauling WEDC after another awful week for the agency following last week’s announced closure of the Oscar Mayer plant. We recap the flip-flop of the cowardly “Lion of Ripon,” Sen. Luther Olsen, who joined Republicans in ending GAB and gutting campaign finance laws. Robert outlines the key findings from a new Citizen Action report which finds Wisconsinites are paying 47% more for healthcare on the federal marketplaces than Minnesotans. We also review this week’s Fight for $15 rally and march in Milwaukee, Jorna gives us a “Paul Ryan Watch” update, and we discuss a potential strike by more than 2,100 workers at the Kohler Company.