We are pleased to announce the completion of the Lewin Group’s economic impact analysisof our health care reform proposal – The Wisconsin Health Plan (WHP). The Wisconsin Health Project worked in cooperation with nearly 20 business, labor, farm, and consumer groups over the past year to commission and guide the development of the Lewin report.

A summary highlighting the major findings is attached to this email, and the full report is available at:

thewheelerreport.com/releases/June07/june6/0606healthplanreport.pdf

Highlights from the Lewin Report

The Number of Uninsured
The uninsured population would drop from nearly 476,000 to 17,000 individuals under the WHP, meaning that more than 99% of all Wisconsinites would have health care coverage under this proposal.

Reduced Health Care Costs
The report projects $8.9 billion in savings under the WHP over a 10-year period (2007-2017) compared to current spending in our health care system. In the first year of the program, Lewin estimates $186 million in savings due to the central purchase of prescription drugs, $406 million in savings due to reduced insurance administration, and $403 million resulting from incentives for price competition in the health care marketplace.

Change in Health Expenditures for Wisconsin Families
Compared to current annual expenditures, average family spending would decline by $1,448 for premiums and $191 for out-of-pocket spending. Families with incomes below $50,000 would see net reductions in family health spending averaging up to $1,000 per family.

Reduced Costs for Insuring Employers
Small insuring employers, such as farmers and self-employed individuals, would see a significant reduction in health insurance costs – estimated at nearly $1000 per insured employee. Public/ government employers would see health insurance costs reduced by $1.1 billion, providing opportunities for significant property tax relief. Private insuring employers would see health insurance costs reduced by $44 million, which is an average savings of $24 per worker.

Reduced Costs for Taxpayers
Due to the reduced costs for health care for public employers, the WHP would provide opportunities to dramatically reduce property taxes for businesses and individuals by nearly $1 billion. The current proposal suggests $550 million in property tax relief for households and $416 million in property tax relief to businesses. There would also be a projected $495 million reduction in costs for government safety net programs such as local public health services, resulting from the fact that the uninsured population is virtually eliminated.

A revised version of the Wisconsin Health Plan will be re-introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature in the coming weeks.

The Wisconsin Health Project is also very excited to announce the launch of our new website: www.wisconsinhealthplan.org. We have updated the site to make it easier for you to access information about our proposal, upcoming events, and ways to get involved and support our efforts.

As always, we encourage you to contact your state legislators and local media to express your support for comprehensive health care reform. We welcome any opportunity to discuss the details of the Wisconsin Health Plan with individuals and organizations. Feel free to share our proposal with colleagues and interested parties, and do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to schedule a meeting or presentation in your community.

Lisa Ellinger
The Wisconsin Health Project
414-534-4521
www.wisconsinhealthplan.org