Workers at Ron Johnson's company are on Badger Care

[undeterred]

MADISON (WKOW) -- State health department officials said workers at republican U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson's Oshkosh plastics company have health insurance through BadgerCare.

Health department spokesperson Stephanie Smiley said 5 employees at Pacur Inc. are enrolled in the state health program, as are 10 of their dependents.

Officials said enrollment in BadgerCare is open to low income workers as a last resort supplement to employer-sponsored health insurance, or to moderate income workers when an employer-sponsored plan fails to cover eighty percent of health insurance premiums.

"We do require people to contribute part of that cost," Johnson said Wednesday in Milwaukee. "If it's less costly for them to take BadgerCare, they may choose that option."

In a July appearance in Madison, Johnson only referenced his firm's health insurance offering when asked about his own health insurance plan. "I have the same insurance Pacur has. It's nothing special," Johnson said July 26.

A campaign spokesperson for Johnson declined to comment on what percentage of worker health insurance premiums is covered by Pacur. Johnson said Pacur employees on BadgerCare may have special circumstances.

"Some of them might be part-time employees." Johnson has said his company's operation has not benefited from government subsidy, nor has he sought special government help. Johnson has also opposed expansion of government-run health care.

Executive Director Bobby Peterson of the Madison-based health care access advocacy group ABC for Health said Johnson's public policy positions make his workers' BadgerCare status curious.

"If you're a strident opponent of government-run health care, that seems a little inconsistent."

"He cannot have it both ways," said Executive Director Robert Kraig of the Milwaukee-based advocacy group Citizen Action of Wisconsin. "He opposes government health care, but doesn't have a plan to cover these people (BadgerCare participants at Pacur)."

Campaign spokesperson Sara Sendek stressed all full-time Pacur workers are offered health insurance. Sendek said attention to the participation of Pacur workers in BadgerCare Plus was fueled by Johnson's opponent, democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.

"It's a desperate attempt to distract voters." State officials said nearly 800,000 people are enrolled in BadgerCare. State records show Walmart has the most workers participating in BadgerCare with 3,086. Pacur employees on BadgerCare make up 4-percent of the company's workforce.

"It's called government run health insurance, but it sometimes provides care more effectively and at lower cost than some of the private sector plans out there, because of the larger size of the pool and the spreading of the risk," Peterson said.

Online reporting by Tony Galli. [e-mail]

http://www.wkow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13364305

[PeaceNikki]

1. Interesting.

Interesting indeed.