Do we need a constitutional right to buy health insurance? The state Senate approves a constitutional amendment that specifically would create a right to enter into private contracts with health care providers for health care services and private health care coverage. “And it will disallow a government from mandating that an individual participate in a specific health care plan,” says the amendment’s author, Sheboygan Republican Joe Leibham. “This isn’t inconsequential. We’ve got 26 other areas that are covered by the constitution.”
AUDIO: Sens. Erpenbach, Leibham (6:50)
Middleton Democrat Jon Erpenbach calls the resolution (SJR 21) “a scam” that “creates false hope” regarding the purchase of health insurance. “I can walk through the door, I can plunk down my money, and they can ask me a couple of questions, and then they can say no,” says Erpenbach. “What personal decision is that?” “The resolution would need to pass two consecutive sessions of the legislature and a statewide referendum.
