WHA hits radio with hospital assessment ad
The Wisconsin Hospital Association today launched a statewide radio campaign highlighting a proposal to assess hospitals and capture more federal funding for Medicaid reimbursement.
"Wisconsin is not getting back its fair share of federal tax dollars, and our health care costs are rising because of it," a female narrator says.
The spot says that the assessment proposal could return an additional $410 million in federal funds, and that the plan has wide support from a bipartisan group of legislators, business groups, and the governor.
"But some politicians in Madison are standing in the way," says the narrator.
The ad will run for at least a week, according to WHA senior vice president Eric Borgerding.
The assessment has support from Dem Gov. Jim Doyle and the Democrats who control the state Senate, but is opposed by the Republicans majority in the Assembly. Speculation from budget watchers as the negotiations on a compromise have dragged on is that the assessment will not be part of the final package.
Borgerding called the hospital assessment a "win-win" for the state, and he said the WHA will advocate for the assessment over the long haul if necessary.
"If unfortunately it's not included in the budget repair, there's a biennial budget bill right around the corner and we are committed to talking about Medicaid reform on a statewide level," he said.
Listen to the ad here.
See the WHA press release here.
Labels: Budget_Repair_Bill, Hospital_Assessment
