Wisconsin Childrens Initiative

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Wisconsin Childrens Initiative

• (Presenter Name)
• (Organization)

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The Health of Our Community Impacts Us All

• Tobaccos toll on Wisconsin families -lose 7,800
  loved ones EVERY YEAR
• Tobacco use causes premature death and disease
• Funding for tobacco control and prevention has
  been cut reducing program impact
• Medicaid budget is in crisis AGAIN

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The Toll of Tobacco in Wisconsin

• 15,900 kids become addicted every year
• 7,800 people die from their own smoking
• Another 1,000 will die from someone elses
  smoking

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Smoking-Caused Monetary Costs

• Costs WI 3 billion per year

• Medicaid costs
• 375 million

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Medicaid-Related Programs

• Who is covered?
• 800,000 Wisconsin residents are covered by
  Medicaid, BadgerCare or SeniorCare
• 500,000 low-income families
• 77 of the Medicaid spending was for the elderly
  and people with disabilities

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The Uninsured

• In 2003, 593,000 were uninsured in Wisconsin
• Good news Wisconsin has the 7th lowest rate of
  uninsured people
• Bad news The rate of uninsured people has been
  rising strains state funding for Medicaid and
  BadgerCare

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Funding Is Critical

• Without funding, the burden of providing medical
  care does not vanish
• -- it shifts

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Cost Shifting

• Low-income working families who are uninsured and
  struggling financially often put off going to the
  doctor until they are seriously ill
• Emergency rooms become their primary access to
  health care
• Results in
• less cost-effective health care system
• unpaid emergency room bills

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Who End Up Paying?

• Providers pass some of the costs on to their
  paying customers
• Wisconsin residents end up picking up much of the
  cost

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Economic Impact of Funding Cuts

• A 10 percent cut in the Medicaid Program would
  cause the loss of
• 5,700 health care jobs, and 9,100 total jobs.
• 394 million in wages, salaries and other types
  of income.
• 30 million in state and local government
  revenues, due to lower income, sales and other
  taxes.

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Short Term Solutions Dont Work for Long Term
Problems

• State used the 20 years worth of tobacco
  settlement dollars to fill ONE budget deficit
  (and WI budget is still in trouble)
• Tobacco control prevention programs are funded
  at 1/3 recommended levels
• Medicaid is severely under-funded

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Increasing the Tobacco Tax A Solution That Works!

• 85-Cent Tobacco Tax Increase
• Prevents kids from starting
• Reduces costs to society
• Provides funding source for an effective tobacco
  control and prevention program
• Provides funding source for Medicaid

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Prevents Kids from Smoking

• 85-cent increase 61,000 kids alive today would
  not become smokers
• And 19,500 of our kids would not die a horrible
  tobacco related death

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Reduces Costs to Society

• 37,000 current adult smokers would quit
• Reduces the number of low birth weight babies
• Over 1 billion saved in long-term health care
  costs
• Short-term health care cost savings are immediate

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Provides Funding Source

• 85-cent increase per pack generates 220 million
  per year
• Provides funding for an effective state tobacco
  control prevention program
• Fills the Medicaid short-fall
• Funds Medicaid over the long-term (ensuring
  coverage for children, disabled, elderly and
  long-term care)

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What People Say About Tobacco Tax Myths and
Realities

• Myths-
• Taxes will increase smuggling
• Taxes unfairly target low income populations
• Reality
• Smuggling can be controlled with proper law
  enforcement
• Smokers with the lowest income quit in the
  highest rates

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What People Say About Tobacco Tax Myths and
Realities

• Realities-
• Theres statewide support for the tax 67 of WI
  voters support an 85-cent cigarette tax increase
• It works! States that significantly raised the
  tobacco tax always generated and always reduced
  smoking rates

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Increasing the Tobacco Tax A Solution That Works!

• Tobacco Tax Increase
• Prevents kids from starting
• Reduces costs to society
• Provides funding source for an effective tobacco
  control and prevention program
• Provides funding source for Medicaid

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For More Information

• www.smokefreewi.org