Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Will "Healthy Wisconsin" Become a Welfare Magnet?

Categories: Wisconsin

Wisconsin led the nation in welfare reform, and in so doing became much less attractive for welfare-driven migration. Could it undo that by implementing "Healthy Wisconsin," a planned government takeover of health care?

Christian Schneider, writing for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, says it's plausible:

On the one hand, they argue that the crisis among this group is severe enough to warrant a full government takeover of health care in the state. Yet they also argue that there is no crisis with regard to people in identical situations in other states, which would be enough for one family member to move to Wisconsin. Which is it?

The difference between this and the old-fashioned form of welfare is that "Healthy Wisconsin" is a much more serious threat to societal well-being and the public purse.