The cost of health care is a huge burden for Wisconsin families.
A new Families USA report shows Wisconsinites are paying a much larger percentage of their income for health care.
"It shows that a lot more families are paying more than 10% of their income and a lot more, in fact, are paying over 25% of their income for health care."
Robert Kraig, Program Director for Citizen Action of Wisconsin, says according to the report there has been a 62% increase in the number of Wisconsin families which pay more than 10% of their pre-tax income on health care since the year 2000, and a 72% increase in those spending more than 25% for health care.
Kraig says among those suffering from high health care costs are folks who do have insurance.
"Sometimes people assume that it's only the uninsured that are effected by the health care cost crisis but in fact 91% of people in Wisconsin who pay over 10% of their incomes for health care are insured."
He says co-pays, higher premiums, and deductibles put a huge strain on an insured family's budget.
Kraig says the report clearly shows that health care is becoming unaffordable for many people, and the current system is unsustainable.
Kraig says given the economic impact, it's important for Wisconsinites to get engaged in the national debate to make sure the public interest is served rather than the special interests which profit from the current system.
