Wisconsin Independent Businesses has worked for 15 years to pass legislation to make quality health insurance at more stable rates available to small businesses and farmers.  WIB was, by a large amount, the leading legislative advocate for Co-op Care (according to figures published by the Ethics Board). Today, the program is becoming a reality.

Independent businesses will soon be able to purchase health insurance through a large purchasing pool. This marks the conclusion of the battle by Wisconsin Independent Businesses to allow small businesses and farmers to obtain health insurance as part of a large pool. The Commissioner of Insurance has authorized the creation of a statewide region for Wisconsin Healthcare Cooperative. Small firms and the self-employed will have access to a health insurance pool that could ultimately bring tens-of-thousands of workers together for purchasing health and wellness benefits.

Recent legislatures have passed three separate pieces of legislation to make Co-op Care programs possible. Farmers Health Cooperative (http://www.farmershealthcooperative.com) makes purchasing pool access available to farmers and agri-business firms statewide. Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative (http://www.healthylifestylescoop.org/) is operating in Brown County and other cooperatives have applied for other regional territories. Wisconsin Healthcare Cooperative (WHC) (www.wihealthcarecoop.com) is based in Milwaukee and was known as Coop Care of Southeast Wisconsin prior to the order allowing WHC to operate statewide.

The legislature and executive branch have started the discussion of how to reform health care financing. The development of statewide purchasing pools for small businesses and farmers, first advocated by WIB in 1992, is truly a major reform. The existing health insurance system doesn’t work for far too many people. Co-op Care programs mean farmers, business owners and employees can join large pools and obtain big group purchasing power and access to wellness expertise.

WIB has advocated purchasing pool health insurance for small and farm businesses for 15 years. Major health insurance carriers have opposed purchasing pools for all of that time. But the dream is coming true. The purchasing pools will bring new competition to the small employer health insurance market. The game is changing. Real health insurance reform is here.

WIB has no financial interest in any health insurance organization. We are very grateful, however, to Governor Doyle, Commissioner Sean Dilweg, Senator Sheila Harsdorf and former Representative Curt Gielow for their aggressive leadership in securing a program that will mean better and more affordable health care for thousands of Wisconsin workers.

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