May 8, 2019
Contact: Candice Owley-414-899-7070
Statement from WFNHP President Candice Owley
on New Report Indicating Medicaid Expansion Would Save Lives,
Help Treat Opioid Addiction Crisis
Milwaukee, WI-- A new report released by Citizen Action of Wisconsin shows that expanding BadgerCare will allow more Wisconsinites access to life-saving treatment in recovery from opioid addiction. This report demonstrates the price disparities between the expensive private insurance market and the more affordable BadgerCare market for medications to aid in recovery from this addiction, and the high cost of these drugs is a barrier to treatment for many of our neighbors and family members.
Candice Owley, RN, President of WFNHP said, “Nurses take an oath to protect and care for our patients and our communities. I am here on nurse’s week to make clear that failure to expand BadgerCare is a death sentence for many in our state. The cost of drugs for a person with no insurance or with a high deductible plan is cruel and immoral. No politician should be able to sleep at night knowing they had a chance to save lives but turned their back on their communities.”
President Owley continued, “I urge our state representatives to put their partisan politics aside and do the right thing. It is time to take action to expand BadgerCare so thousands of Wisconsinites can get the care and life-saving medications they so desperately need.”
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Wisconsin FNHP represents nurses & health professionals throughout the state of Wisconsin, and is the local affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers healthcare division, which represents more than 130,000 nurses and health professionals in a variety of disciplines and settings.