May 12, 2026
By TIM HUNDT
CASHTON, Wis. – 96th State Representative Tara Johnson (D-Town of Shelby) opened the event between Westby and Cashton this week by thanking the Gretebeck family for hosting the discussion on their land and emphasizing the grassroots momentum behind the BadgerCare Public Option legislation she introduced. She explained that the legislation directly addresses the healthcare affordability crisis by expanding the number of Wisconsinites eligible for the state program.
Johnson said by raising the income threshold to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, individuals earning up to roughly $32,000 and families earning twice that amount could suddenly access reliable coverage.
“There are so many Wisconsinites who know what it means to be struggling to access affordable healthcare,” said Johnson.
“That is all the affirmation that I need to know that we need to be pushing for this legislation to be passed as soon as we get back in session.”
Beyond individual coverage, the bill includes provisions tailored to support local economies by allowing small employers to buy into a state run health exchange. Johnson noted that this applies to businesses with 50 or fewer workers, giving them a much needed lifeline in an otherwise cost prohibitive insurance market.
“This will help those businesses recruit and retain employees at a much higher rate,” said Johnson. “It will really put them on a level playing field with large companies who have access to the bigger pools of insurance.”
Kristie Tweed from Citizen Action of Wisconsin framed the current landscape as a dire healthcare crisis driven by corporate greed. She pointed out that insurance conglomerates and pharmaceutical monopolies have consistently put profits over people, pushing working families out of the market entirely. People are increasingly forced to downgrade to lower tier plans that carry exorbitant deductibles and unmanageable copays.
“People are seeing their premiums double, sometimes triple,” said Tweed. “People are dropping out of the system altogether, which makes it more unaffordable for even those of us that have employee coverage.”
The real world consequences of these rising costs are severe, with more than half of state residents delaying necessary medical treatments. Tweed shared stories of emergency medical technicians who regularly encounter patients refusing ambulance rides out of fear of the impending hospital bills. She stressed that healthcare access is the top issue for voters across the political spectrum.
“This is not a partisan issue,” said Tweed. “It is only partisan in Madison and Washington, but it is not partisan when I go door to door talking to folks.”
Vernon County Board Supervisor Nathaniel Slack shared his personal journey of navigating a devastating health emergency while raising two young boys. Diagnosed with cancer last June, he learned four months later that the disease had metastasized, leaving chemotherapy as his only viable path forward. The grueling treatment consumed his entire winter and forced his family to rely heavily on the generosity of their neighbors.
“I spent my winter in the chemotherapy chair,” said Slack. “What I really learned during that time period was just how desperate our community is to help each other.”
Slack explained that the sheer volume of people offering childcare, meals and financial assistance was overwhelming, to the point where his family had to turn some help away. He views the proposed legislation as a structural extension of that same community goodwill, providing a reliable safety net for everyone.
“This bill really provides an opportunity for the folks of Vernon County and the State of Wisconsin to help each other,” said Slack. “It allows us to help our neighbors and to work with our best foot forward in providing this care.”
Viroqua small business owner Michael Browne detailed the administrative nightmare of keeping his family of five on BadgerCare amid unpredictable income streams. He described the current income limit as a sudden cliff, where earning even a single dollar over the $38,000 threshold immediately strips parents of their coverage. As an entrepreneur, his earnings can be zero one month and abundant the next, but the state system demands constant paperwork whenever the numbers fluctuate.
“Healthcare here right now, it is a cliff,” said Browne. “Every dollar over the limit is a cliff.”
Browne expressed intense frustration with a system that forces him to spend hours on the phone proving his eligibility instead of building his business and contributing to the local economy. He noted that the United States spends nearly $15,000 per person annually on healthcare, far more than other nations, yet life expectancy remains shorter.
“That money isn’t going to health, it is going to administration,” said Browne. “It is going to a machine of finger pointing and paperwork, and to people like me on the phone every month trying to prove that I still exist.”
Economist and author Dr. Lisa Vander highlighted the unique vulnerabilities facing the agricultural sector, where farmers perform some of the most physically demanding and dangerous jobs in the state. Despite the high risks associated with their daily labor, fluctuating market incomes make private insurance plans completely unaffordable for many family farms. The proposed legislation would offer these rural workers a realistic way to secure basic preventive care.
“When farmers can’t afford it, they delay treatment,” said Vander. “They work through their injuries, and they risk their long term healthcare to keep their operations running.”
Vander argued that ensuring access to medical care before minor issues escalate into major crises is a critical investment in the people who feed the state. Beyond individual health, she noted that the public option would reduce hospital debt in rural areas and strengthen local clinics.
“It would keep more of our healthcare dollars right here in Wisconsin, rather than sending it to other states across the country,” said Vander. “This is a practical investment in the people who feed Wisconsin.”
Assembly Bill 1153 was introduced on March 13, 2026, and Senate Bill 1121 was introduced shortly after on March 19, 2026, where it was referred to the Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry. Ultimately, both bills officially failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 on March 23, 2026.
The chances the legislation passing in the near future appear highly challenging under the current political makeup of the state legislature. Representative Johnson has stated that the Republican majority has historically blocked progress on these initiatives, noting that passing the legislation will likely require a Democratic majority. Additionally, advocacy groups like Citizen Action of Wisconsin acknowledge that passing the bill requires overcoming significant opposition from the medical and insurance industries, which will take time and grassroots organizing. However, they also noted that the legislation has been gaining momentum, having reached a record 43 co-sponsors during the previous 2024 session.
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