The health care bill I supported in the Senate is good for Wisconsin, with millions more Medicare and Medicaid dollars coming to our state. Despite some letters to the contrary, there are many provisions in the legislation that will be helpful to Wisconsin. Senior citizens will get a better deal on their medications by improving prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. Doctors and seniors in our state will receive more Medicare funding because the bill improves the unfair Medicare reimbursement formula that has siphoned money away from rural states like Wisconsin for years. The legislation also ensures physicians and hospitals will begin to be rewarded for the quality of care they provide instead of the quantity of care, a practice for which Wisconsin hospitals are nationally recognized. Wisconsin taxpayers also win because we will see a boost in Medicaid funding, so our state isn’t harshly penalized for its leadership in expanding coverage. The bill also prevents insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions, helps small businesses that are currently struggling with crippling health care costs, expands coverage to 30 million more Americans and reduces the deficit by an estimated $132 billion. While the Senate health care bill is not perfect, it provides real and essential reforms that will help our state, and that’s why I voted for it.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold

Middleton