Subscribe Subscriber Login Today's Paper Search JSOnline Safari Power Saver Click to Start Flash Plug-in News Watchdog Opinion Sports Business Food Entertainment Lifestyle Multimedia Home » News » Opinion Opinion Marketplace Homes ACROSS THE BOARD A smart health care marketplace 7 Autos The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board’s blog on the day’s happenings as they happen. By Steve Kagen Tweet Jobs Feb. 22, 2013 Recommend 34 Close the Chicago canal and stop the carp StumbleUpon EMAIL PRINT (3) COMMENTS In 2006, I ran for public office for the first time in my life to end discrimination against my patients with preexisting medical conditions - and I succeeded. After a century of trying, we finally established that health care is a civil right. Beginning next January, no insurance company, anywhere in these United States, will be allowed to decline insurance coverage to any citizen. In other words, if you're a citizen, you're in. As a physician, I know this is a really big deal. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law nearly three years ago, yet most families and small business owners are still unaware of the new freedoms they've won. Families can now have peace of mind, for no longer will they go broke and lose their home just because a loved one becomes seriously ill. Small business owners are now receiving tax credits to help pay for their employees' insurance coverage. Simply put, the Affordable Care Act is good for your health and your business. (4) Sand mining bill needs adjusting View All Blog Posts Advertisement Our new law puts patients first, holds insurers accountable, strengthens Medicare and levels the playing field for small businesses. Putting patients first means physicians may do what is best for patients. No thoughtful person can oppose the freedoms we've won. But your new freedoms are yours for only as long as you can hold onto them. We have begun to improve upon what we already have, but there is much work to do. This year, we must create a truly competitive health insurance marketplace in Wisconsin. Gov. Scott Walker had the authority to do this, but he refused to do so even though the Wisconsin Regulatory Review Report of 2013 that he commissioned found the cost for health care is the top concern of small business owners. Our governor turned his back on my patients and small business owners, so it is up to us to write the rules for Wisconsin's new Health Care Marketplace. To guarantee we receive the care we need at prices we can afford, critical questions must be answered. What do you want Wisconsin's health insurance marketplace to look like? What piece of the pie should insurance executives be allowed to take? Would you like to see the price of a pill before you swallow it? Consider these questions: Whose side do you want your doctor to be on, yours or the insurance company? Should every insurance company have to sell the same health benefit plan so we can compare their quality, price and service apples to apples? Should every business selling health care products and services have to openly disclose all their prices, so we can shop for the highest-quality care at the best possible price? Should all patients be treated equally and at the same price for the same service? Do you want to be rewarded for living a healthy lifestyle by paying less for your health insurance? Do you want to be free to choose your personal physician, hospital and insurance plan? Do you want to be free to go to any physician or health facility that accepts the same terms of your insurance plan? Should insurance companies be allowed to write their own rules? Answering these and other questions will help responsible officials to establish a patient-centered and highly competitive medical marketplace, one in which we will all have the freedom to choose our own caregivers based upon their quality, price and service. TOP STORIES Assembly adopts more than a dozen bills aimed at improving mental health care State lawmakers pass Internet privacy, 'revenge porn' bills Tuesday US doctors urge wider use of cholesterol drugs Gunman in downtown Milwaukee shooting ID'd as 17-year-old County Board unanimously votes to undo deep cuts to David Clarke's budget MORE NEWS US doctors urge wider use of cholesterol drugs Now is the time to think things all the way through. Take time today and visit these informational websites: www.Healthcare.gov and www.sba.gov/content/health-care. Senate scales back Medicaid payback rules for the elderly As a practicing physician and co-author of our nation's new law, I am convinced today more than ever that we can fix what is broken in our health care delivery system state-by-state by putting patients first and creating a truly competitive medical marketplace. Biologists begin searching Sturgeon Bay for Asian carp evidence Steve Kagen is a physician and a former congressman from Appleton. *** (3) Worry about asbestos-like minerals, not the messenger (20) Gunman in downtown Milwaukee shooting ID'd as 17-year-old Wisconsin bill would Advertisement Wisconsin bill would legalize raw milk, with caveats WHAT'S AHEAD Health care is a civil right. Kenosha casino decision could take months, Gov. Scott Walker says Families can choose their own physicians and insurers. Standardized insurance benefits. Wisconsin Supreme Court considers stay in Act 10 case Small business tax credits. Filipino expats in US seek news after typhoon Coverage for young adults on their parents' plan through age 26. ABOUT THE EDITORIAL BOARD A competitive marketplace. Editorial Board: Who we are and what we do David D. Haynes: Our job - Keep the marketplace of ideas stocked Equality for women. Coverage for prevention services. Medicare doughnut hole will be closed. No annual or lifetime caps. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Higher pay for Wisconsin caregivers. Write a letter to the editor Submit an opinion piece to Perspectives or Crossroads Guaranteed insurance renewal. 3 Comments » Recommend Read and share your thoughts on this story. From around the web 34 people recommend this. Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. MOST POPULAR - NEWS most read More from the Journal Sentinel If you drive 35 miles/day or less you better read this (Lifestyle Journal) The 10 Most Dangerous Dog Breeds Based on Biting and Fatality Statistics (Puppy Toob) Is it ADHD? 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