Friday, June 20, 2008

Government-Run Health Care in Wisconsin: No Deficit of False Rhetoric 

By Christian Schneider

Categories:  Wisconsin

Yesterday, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute released a report which discusses the Healthy Wisconsin health plan proposed by Wisconsin Senate Democrats. The report, written by George Lightbourn and yours truly, makes two main points:

• Healthy Wisconsin is government-run health care; and

• Healthy Wisconsin will run large deficits, since personal income won't keep up with health care costs.

Most informed observers would have the following reaction to the report:

"Well, DUH!"

This is actually a fairly reasonable response. But I should mention a couple things that justify the need for this report. First of all, the authors of the Healthy Wisconsin plan maintain that it isn't government health care. Take the following quote from Senator Jon Erpenbach:"We didn't want it where it was a government-run type of system. We wanted to keep it in the private sector."

With statements like that framing the debate, we thought it necessary to show that the plan is, indeed, government-run health care, and that it would have a massive effect on other government-run programs.

Furthermore, the fact that it is government health care is relevant beyond just making the plan's authors look wrong. The fact that the program will likely run large deficits will have a largely negative effect on other public sector health programs, and would likely force higher taxes to plug the deficit. The Lewin Group actuarial report, which Senate Democrats use to support their plan, actually concedes that taxes will have to be raised in the future beyond the levels authorized in the plan.

Yet perhaps the most interesting part of the report is the reaction it has received since its release this morning. Plan proponents, such as the group One Wisconsin Now, have proven themselves completely incapable of discussing the merits of the plan. They laughably fall back on the old tried and true talking points, such as how "Big Oil" is responsible for all this. Like 3rd graders, they go after co-author George Lightbourn, calling him "bankrupt." I'm surprised they somehow couldn't work Alberto Gonzalez into their talking points.

My only reaction to this is to express a little disappointment they didn't go after me, too. I feel a little left out, seeing as I am clearly morally bankrupt. Maybe I should e-mail them some examples so I can work my way into their next release. Plan author Jon Erpenbach also issued a press release denouncing the report. In their defense, you have to give both Erpenbach and One Wisconsin Now credit for their consistency - neither of them actually read a word of our report. Both issue sweeping bromides about health care for all and such, yet never approach the actual subject matter of the report.

So for those brave enough to actually read the report, criticisms are certainly welcome. But the main theses of the study are fairly solid, and even backed by data that supporters of Healthy Wisconsin are themselves circulating as support for their program.

• posted by Christian Schneider
• 10:04 am
• 1 comment