Making insurance more affordable for twenty-somethings, the governor promotes a new law to help young adults get health insurance. Governor Jim Doyle says the new law, adopted as part of the state budget, will go into effect January 1st, although it hasn’t received a lot of attention. Health insurance policies will be required to cover the children of policyholders, up to age 27, regardless of whether or not the children are in school. Under previous practice, some insurers have allowed parents to keep children up to age 24 on their policies, if those children are enrolled in school.

Neither Doyle or state Insurance Commissioner Sean Dilweg could cite numbers on who many young adults might end up being covered, or what costs might be, although Dilweg expected that to be minimal. Young adults who are married won’t be eligible, and those who have their own or employee provided coverage would only be eligible if it’s cheaper to be under their parents’ plan. And, Doyle says there will be some additional tax liability for parents.

AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:60 MP3)

Wisconsin’s Lt. Governor says the reputation of a Green Bay radio station is in jeopardy.

Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton is still waiting for an apology* after a talk show host made offensive comments about her on his radio station’s webcast this week following her sudden exit from the governor’s race.

“If I owned a radio station I would want very quickly to have a very clear and expansive apology publicly made so that people would understand that that wasn’t the intent of the ownership and that it’s meant to be a serious news outlet, but clearly their reputation of that is very much in jeopardy right now.”

Jerry Bader’s story was later retracted, and he’s been suspended for two weeks. But the Lt. Governor says this kind of personal attack is the very reason qualified, potential candidates for public office are opting not to engage in the political process.

“People thinking about running for office are going to take a hard look at this and say, ‘am I going to submit myself, my good name and my family and their good name to such outrageous lies?’ [Read more...]