Efforts are underway to revive the state Senate's Healthy Wisconsin proposal.
State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D-Waunakee) says the legislation, which would provide health care coverage for every Wisconsin resident, could be brought back later this year. He hopes to re-introduce the bill in the next “three to four months” and then hold public hearings on the proposal across the state.
If President Obama unveils national health care reforms, Erpenbach says he may not need to reintroduce the proposal. He says Healthy Wisconsin remains a strong plan for the state and Obama has already talked about several of the reforms included in the plan, such as allowing patients to choose their own doctor and large pools for the self-insured.
Senate Democrats attempted to insert the proposal in the last state budget . Erpenbach says there are no plans to try that again this session.