Will Flanders, Ph.D at the Institute for Law and Liberty in Wisconsin.
Will Flanders, Ph.D at the Institute for Law and Liberty in Wisconsin, spoke with Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson of AM 560 The Answer about Wisconsin’s approach to handling the novel coronavirus outbreak.
When Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order on Friday, March 20, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took a different approach, instead limiting gatherings to 10 people or fewer, allowing restaurants to serve only take out, and telling residents to practice social distancing.
“We’re trying to do the smart thing and practice social distancing, but not go as far as Illinois has,” said Flanders.
State Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse)
Beyond that, there’s been a call for the state to expand its Medicaid services, by state Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse), and that’s something that Flanders says isn’t the right response, for several reasons.
“There’s no reason to do that,” he said. “We have no coverage gaps. Eligibility for Medicaid is at 100 percent of the federal poverty line, or you qualify for coverage under the Obamacare program.”
Shilling suggests that accepting Medicaid funding and expanding coverage would save the taxpayers money and add in federal funds for healthcare services. Flanders said that this isn’t the right response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the state of Wisconsin.
“Let’s not enact a policy that we’ll find detrimental later on,” he said, speaking with Proft and Jacobson. “There are better uses for taxpayer money.”
Flanders said that for years, Republicans have fought against a Medicaid expansion, and that there’s no evidence it would actually help in the current situation.
The COVID-19 spread has caused people to point out how telemedicine could help, to get more people healthcare even in the time when social distancing is the order of the day, but Flanders notes that it is not a panacea to solve every issue, because there are still individuals who need care for issues other than the novel coronavirus, and there are things doctors cannot do through telemedicine.