National Disability Groups report the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare) replacement bill will be referred to committee for mark up this Wednesday. This bill is also anticipated to contain major changes to Medicaid that will reduce funding, and could result in changes to Wisconsin Medicaid funded programs like Family Care/IRIS, Katie Beckett, Children’s Long-Term Supports, school and autism therapies and more

A markup is the process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation, and scheduling a markup means this bill is moving quickly towards passage.

Constituents can and need to ask important questions of U.S, Representatives about this proposal. Type in your address under the Find My Legislators box and click Find on the Wisconsin State Legislative website to get find out who your U.S. Congressperson is and get their contact information. If you know who your Congressman is call the national switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to their office.

Optional: Sample Questions 

• How many people will lose coverage and how much will this bill cost?
• What does the bill say about coverage of pre-existing conditions and caps on the amount insurance companies will pay over your lifetime for care?
• What does the bill say about controlling costs of prescription drugs?
• What does the bill say about providing more money as health costs increase?
• Will some people be charged higher premiums based on health status or put into High Risk Insurance Pools?
• Will therapy coverage still be guaranteed for people who need habilitative care to gain new or maintain abilities?
• Will mental health and substance abuse disorder services still be guaranteed?
• Does the bill change how Medicaid is funded (either Medicaid Block Grants or Per Capita Caps), which will reduce funding to states and could result in a significant cost shifting to Wisconsin taxpayers and a variety of rationing measures to reduce Medicaid spending (including elimination or reduction of services currently covered, a return to wait lists for care, and people currently in Medicaid losing their Medicaid coverage).
• Ask for your legislator to get the Congressional Budget Office analysis of the bill to you ASAP.
• When will there be public hearings on the bill?
• Why is the bill being marked up before a a public hearing has been held?