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Then there’s quandary number two – where will the money come from?

In his speech yesterday, newly sworn-in Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch said to his colleagues “[We] won an opportunity to make a difference, to grapple with the great issues of the day, to touch history, to make people’s lives better.” Both Speaker Huebsch and Governor Doyle referred to the rising cost of health care in their inaugural day messages. Governor Doyle said the rising price of health care “is not only an economic crisis, it’s a human crisis …and it demands action now.”

Though Republicans have worked long and hard on this issue, the plans on the table have limited bipartisan support. It will be up to Speaker Huebsch and Assembly Health Committee Chair Leah Vukmir to yes, craft effective constructive responses to the current very active health care initiatives, but to also be very proactive in determining the direction the health care experiment takes in Wisconsin.

So… it’s safe to say the Governor and the legislature have their work cut out for them.

(Recent articles that do a good job summarizing current health care proposals have been included in recent editions of FoxPolitics News: 1/2/07 LaCrosse Trib, 12/26/06, Stateline.org, 12/19/06, WSJ) 

And much of that work will fall on Leah Vukmir, filling the shoes of longtime Assembly Health Committee chair, former Representative Gregg Underheim (R - Oshkosh).

Representative Vukmir earned a B.S. in nursing from Marquette, her masters in nursing from UW-Madison and is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. Ms. Vukmir’s positions on health care issues are detailed well in a Journal-Sentinel campaign questionnaire:

The best way to reign in health care costs without compromising quality is to allow for more consumer choice in health care. Cost and quality transparency are starting points and both the legislature and private sector have partnered to create an environment that fosters the ability for patients to make better decisions. This transparency will only work if we allow patients to be in charge of their health care dollars through the use of health savings accounts. I strongly support private sector reforms and believe the role of government should be limited to providing tax incentives for preventive health care, removing mandates that increase costs and finally by using the government's purchasing power to drive market changes.

A consumer-driven model will increase competition among providers and decrease the cost of health care. This will allow more employers to offer health care coverage to their workers, which will get us closer to universal coverage.

I am willing to look at proposals for expanding coverage to children and families that cannot afford insurance, however I do not support universal,     government-run health care.

Of the widely circulated Riemer/Gielow “Wisconsin Health Plan,” proposed to be funded with an expanded system of employer payments, Ms. Vukmir has said. “To say I’m skeptical puts it on the mild side.” She adds that while the plan’s sponsors might call the employers’ payments to the pool an assessment, “I call it a tax.”

As of now, no Republican has stepped forward to sponsor the Wisconsin Health Plan in the Assembly. And the Republicans must be seen as the party with ideas – not the perennial naysayers. Ms. Vukmir has the right ideas - and “won an opportunity” all right. She has her work cut out for her.
Look for more on health care in future commentaries on FoxPolitics.net…

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