We strongly oppose the attempt of Wisconsin Health Services Director Dennis Smith to increase profits of heath insurance companies.
Smith wants Wisconsin to be exempt from a federal requirement on how much health insurers have to spend on patient care. Officials are seeking a waiver to what's known as the "medical loss ratio."
The "medical loss ratio" required under the Affordable Care Act is 80 percent of premiums; Wisconsin officials are asking to keep the state's ratio at 71 percent this year and gradually increase it to 77 percent over the next three years.
The infant mortality rate in Wisconsin has reached unacceptable levels, and granting the waiver will further threaten mothers, children, and seniors in Wisconsin.