Gov. Tony Evers speaking at WHA’s 2023 Advocacy Day.
In remarks to Advocacy Day attendees, Gov. Tony Evers acknowledged the need for support for Wisconsin hospitals and discussed investments included in his 2023-2025 State Budget proposal.
WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding welcomed Evers to the event with appreciation for the association’s partnership and collaboration with Gov. Evers and his administration, noting it “must not only continue, but must grow.” Borgerding continued, “Governor, we appreciate the programs you have proposed in your state budget to grow our workforce and the funding hospitals needs to invest in that workforce to help us maintain that safety net for Wisconsin.”
“I think we can all agree that we’re in a much different place than we were at this time last year. And we’re in a different place financially, as well. But through it all, Wisconsin hospitals and health care workers are critical partners serving and caring for the people in the state of Wisconsin,” said Evers.
Evers expressed “an obligation” to invest some of the state’s $7 billion budget surplus “to support and stabilize our health care system.” Evers specifically referenced investments in his budget proposal addressing the health care workforce shortage and hospital and health system financial challenges, including funding for growing the pipeline of health care professionals, increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for hospitals to approximately 85% of cost, increases in pediatric supplemental payments and increases in payments to rural critical care hospitals.
“This is about desperately needed resources for you to ensure continued access to health care, invest in our health care workforce and continue supporting the whole health needs of the people of the state,” said Evers. “Thank you for the remarkable work that you do every single day for the people in Wisconsin,” Evers concluded.