Gov. Tony Evers would like to see the Wisconsin state Legislature work together to lower out-of-pocket health care costs.
Evers’ wants the legislature to approve his “Rx for Less” plan that includes over 10 policies aimed at reducing prescription drug prices, setting price ceilings for prescriptions and improving oversight of drug companies.
Among the governor’s proposals are removing the sales tax on over-the-counter prescriptions, through which Wisconsinites will see a projected total of $70 million in savings over the biennium, and capping the copay for insulin at $35.
With Affordable Care Act credits not extended due to actions by Republicans and President Donald Trump, U.S. health care coverage costs have risen substantially, the Evers administration said in a statement.
Based on increased rates approved by the Trump administration for the 2026 plan year, a middle-class family of four in Wausau could see their premium more than double, going from $866 a month to over $2,300. In Barron County, a 60-year-old couple making around $85,000 could see their premiums skyrocket over 800%, with an annual increase of over $33,000 in costs.
Wisconsin set record health care enrollments for two consecutive years, with the last open enrollment period in 2025 seeing a record-setting 313,579 Wisconsinites sign up for health insurance through the ACA on the individual marketplace. In contrast, enrollment for coverage in 2026 has gone down by over 24,000, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Health care shouldn’t be a privilege afforded only to the healthy and the wealthy, but that’s exactly what is happening as Republicans have gutted Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, while refusing to extend the tax credits under the ACA that make health care more affordable for millions of Americans,” Evers said in a statement.
