Rachel Ver Velde--Special to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Far too often, Wisconsin families are skipping vital appointments, postponing critical procedures, and rationing prescriptions — not because they don’t care about their health, but because they can’t afford care. Rising healthcare costs are a major threat not just to Wisconsin families, but to businesses and the state’s overall economic competitiveness. Common-sense policies can lower costs and better position Wisconsin for success.

...Wisconsin hospitals account for 31 percent of healthcare spending among the privately insured, and charge 318 percent of Medicare rates— a standard benchmark for measuring health care prices — compared to the national average of 254 percent. These prices put Wisconsin at an economic disadvantage. In addition, Wisconsin has the highest medical payments under workers’ compensation in the nation. According to a recent report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute, Wisconsin’s medical payments are 55 percent higher than the median state in the study and 9 percent to 28 percent higher than neighboring states like Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Those costs don’t disappear; they show up in payroll decisions, wages, and job growth.

Read the full article here(paywalled), or reproduced on AOL.  The article cites CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 2025 Edition.  Visit its page on our website for more information, including on how you can get a copy!