Tony Evers on Health Care

	Tony Evers on Health Care

We're going to develop a statewide Mental Health Action Plan

I'm creating an Interagency Council on Mental Health and directing Wisconsin state agencies to work together to reduce barriers and address gaps in mental health services. We're going to develop a statewide Mental Health Action Plan to address the root causes of our mental health crisis, increase awareness and reduce stigma, and build capacity for us to expand access to mental health services statewide. Our state's mental health challenges are significant. Source: 2024 State of the State Address to the Wisconsin legislature , Jan 23, 2024

New resources to expand school-based mental health services

Over the last year, we doubled our investment in our "Get Kids Ahead" initiative--investing $30 million of our federal pandemic relief funds to provide every Wisconsin public school district with new resources to expand school-based mental health services. Tonight, I'm announcing we're going to make "Get Kids Ahead" a permanent state program, and we're investing more than $270 million to ensure every student has access to mental health services. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Wisconsin legislature , Jan 24, 2023

$5 million for mental health and wellness for National Guard

Our effort to invest more than $3 million into expanding the Guard's wellness program was gutted from my biennial budget. It would have increased access to important mental health and wellness support to more than 9,000 Guard members. Well, I'm going to do it anyway. We're going to invest $5 million to expand access to the Guard's comprehensive wellness office and their services to every single member of the Wisconsin National Guard. This program will provide counseling, resiliency training, and crisis intervention and stress reduction programming, to help reduce burnout, take care of mental health needs, prevent suicide, and treat substance use disorders for our service members. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Wisconsin legislature , Feb 15, 2022

No one should call an ambulance and wonder if it will come

No one should be calling for an ambulance and have to wonder whether help will come. We're investing nearly $30 million into supporting emergency medical service providers and services across our state. $20 million of this investment will be going to folks in our rural areas for whatever help they need the most, whether it's increasing staffing support, getting first responders more training, purchasing an ambulance, medical equipment or supplies. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Wisconsin legislature , Feb 15, 2022

New public school funding for mental health services

I'm announcing our new "Get Kids Ahead" initiative to invest $15 million into additional mental health services in our schools. Every public school district can opt in to receive these funds-no matter how big or small. Schools will be able to use these funds to provide direct mental health care, hire and support mental health navigators, provide mental health first aid and trauma-based care training, or provide family assistance programs-whatever our kids need. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Wisconsin legislature , Feb 15, 2022

Fund state alternatives to ObamaCare

Georgia has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, and many who are insured are struggling to pay for care. My budget proposal includes $76 million to implement Georgia Pathways and Access to make health care accessible for the first time to thousands and affordable for millions more by scaling back dependence on the failed promises of healthcare.gov, giving low-income Georgians a hand up, and increasing competition in the private sector to drive down costs. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Georgia legislature , Jan 14, 2021

Veto discrimination by providers in direct care agreements

AB26 Relating to: direct primary care agreements.

Summary by Wisconsin Examiner: AB 26 facilitates direct primary care agreements, allowing a patient (or their representative or employer) to have a contract for primary-care services by that provider and have it be exempt from insurance law. The amendment, which was adopted along strict party lines, eliminated the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of citizenship status, gender or gender identity, genetic information, national origin and sexual orientation.

Veto Message: I object to allowing a health care provider to choose not to enter into a direct primary care agreement with a patient based on the patient's genetics, national origin, gender identity, citizenship status, or whether the patient is LGBTQ. I believe that all individuals should be treated equally.

Legislative Outcome: Passed Assembly 61-36-2 on 1/21/20; Passed Senate 20-13-0 on 2/20/20; Vetoed by Gov. Evers on 2/8/20.

Source: Wisconsin Examiner on State Legislature voting records AB26 , Feb 8, 2020

Healthy Communities Initiative: increase access via Medicaid

We've already started working to make sure healthcare in Wisconsin is affordable and accessible. We signed executive orders creating a Healthy Communities Initiative and calling upon the Department of Health Services to prioritize these goals. Our budget will also seek to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, this will enable an additional 76,000 Wisconsinites to have access to affordable healthcare. Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Wisconsin legislature , Jan 22, 2019

Exit Obamacare lawsuit; keep pre-existing coverage

The people of Wisconsin voted for a change this November and asked us to stop playing politics with their health care. That's why I'm directing Attorney General Kaul to withdraw from a lawsuit that would gut coverage for the 2.4 million Wisconsinites who have pre-existing conditions. I've said all along that I believe the best way to maintain protections for healthcare here in Wisconsin is to stop trying to dismantle those protections at the federal level. Source: 2019 State of the State address to the Wisconsin legislature , Jan 22, 2019

Support ObamaCare; support Medicaid expansion

Q: Support or Repeal Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as ObamaCare? Accept ACA's Medicaid expansion to subsidize low-income participants?

Tony Evers (D): Support ACA. Accept Medicaid expansion to "insure thousands more Wisconsinites who are struggling to find affordable health insurance."

Scott Walker (R): Repeal ACA. Suing to oppose ObamaCare & rejected Medicaid expansion, but used ObamaCare funding to help cover state costs.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Wisconsin Governor race , Oct 9, 2018

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