Helping Unlock Health Care Options For Farms And Rural Families

Navigating health care can feel overwhelming. This is especially true for self-employed workers, farmers, and rural families.  Covering WI can help.  Sunday, August 23rd, the Wisconsin Farmers Union is hosting, “Rural Voices: Health Care in Wisconsin’s Farming Communities”.  The event will be at LaClare Family Creamery in Malone, and the goal is to answer questions and get people/families connected to critical health care resources they may be unaware of.

Adam VanSpankeren is the Navigator Program Manager at Covering Wisconsin. He will be one of the guest speakers Sunday.  He recently spoke with Pam Jahnke about how they handle hundreds of calls everyday. Connecting people with benefits they don’t even know they have.

How should states reach out to Medicaid enrollees affected by changes? Our research gives a hint

In September, states must start to notify Medicaid enrollees affected by new changes — including work requirements and new twice-yearly eligibility checks — that will begin in 2027.

These changes, introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 with a short implementation timetable, are expected to reduce Medicaid enrollment and potentially create confusion and chaos as beneficiaries try to understand whether and how new requirements affect them. States are required to notify people affected by the changing requirements using at least two outreach methods, but the exact methods are up to the state.

Wisconsin Farmers Union Hosts Rural Healthcare Discussion

The Dodge-Fond du Lac-Sheboygan-Ozaukee (DFSO) chapter of Wisconsin Farmers Union will host “Rural Voices: Health Care in Wisconsin’s Farming Communities” on Sunday, August 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at LaClare Family Creamery in Malone, Wisconsin. The event is designed to help rural residents, particularly farmers, learn about healthcare resources while enjoying a welcoming community gathering.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from Covering Wisconsin, which will provide guidance on health insurance options and other programs that support individual and family health. Organizers hope the event will encourage greater access to affordable healthcare, including mental health services, for Wisconsin’s farming communities. The day begins with arrivals at the visitor center, followed by an optional lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for $18 per person. The meal includes sandwiches, salads, beverages, and vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Guests who choose not to purchase lunch may arrive at 12:30 p.m. for the healthcare presentation and complimentary farm tour. Following the discussion, participants can enjoy a self-guided tour of LaClare Family Creamery, visit the goats, sample the farm’s homemade goat milk ice cream, and browse the on-site gift shop.

Registration is required by Wednesday, August 19, through the Wisconsin Farmers Union website. Highlighting the importance of the gathering, DFSO Wisconsin Farmers Union member and event organizer LaToya Bates said, “Healthcare and mental health services are more difficult to access in rural and other underserved areas. Farmers have a higher rate of suicide and physical injuries, making it especially important to help farmers navigate issues with coverage and connect with available resources.”

Young and Uninsured: What to Know

If you’re in your 20s or early 30s, you’re more likely than any other age group to go without health insurance. Many young adults say they feel healthy, rarely see a doctor, or think coverage costs more than it’s worth.

Paying a monthly premium can also feel like a burden, especially if you’re juggling rent, student loans, or uneven income.

But experts say health coverage isn’t just about how often you use care. It’s about protection.

“For every single one of us, there's always a risk that something catastrophic could happen that, without health insurance, could turn into a really expensive bill,” says Tina Marshalek, a licensed health insurance navigator with Covering Wisconsin who also works in community outreach.

For many young adults, the hard part isn’t deciding whether to get insurance. It’s knowing how to sort through the options. Terms like deductibles, copays, and coinsurance can be hard to understand. Sign-up rules and deadlines are easy to miss, especially if you’ve never had to deal with health insurance on your own.

“A lot of my job is raising awareness around health literacy,” says Marshalek. “When people say, ‘I don’t really know what my options are,’ we can help with problem-solving.”

There are several ways to get coverage and lower your costs. Once you learn how health insurance works and what matters most at this stage of life, the choices tend to feel more manageable….

Enrollment in ACA health coverage drops in Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — Just 24 hours after enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace ended and weeks after Congress failed to extend subsidies to keep the cost of health care plans down, analysts said fewer people signed up for coverage this year than last.

"There are fewer people than last year at this time," said Allison Espeseth, the director of Covering Wisconsin. "It's about a 6% decrease so far in what we're seeing. Open enrollment numbers, the final ones, aren't reported yet... It's a little decreased, but talking to some of my colleagues and others in the state, maybe it's not as low or as much of a decline as we thought would happen."

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as of Monday, had 289,213 Wisconsinites signed up for ACA coverage, down from 313,579 in 2025.

Still, Espeseth said that uninsured Wisconsinites might not be out of options when it comes to finding health coverage in 2026, even though premiums may be higher than what they're hoping for.

"It is important for those who don't have coverage or whose situation has changed — there remain opportunities throughout the year for coverage," Espeseth said.

ACA health insurance premiums on the rise: 275,000 Wisconsinites at risk as key tax credits expire

Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites – many of whom live in Racine County – buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, and they could see major premium hikes starting in 2026.

In an article from Wisconsin Watch, it is noted that about 275,000 residents in Wisconsin currently benefit from expanded federal tax credits that help lower their monthly ACA insurance costs.

Those subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025, and experts warn that many people may be priced out of coverage if the credits aren’t renewed, as noted in coverage from Cover Wisconsin…

Expiring ACA tax credits, Federal grants restored, Surviving a heart attack

First, we look at what could happen when Affordable Care Act tax credits expire at the end of the year. Then, talk about what it means for Wisconsin libraries and museums to have federal grants restored. And, a Wisconsin musician explains his mission to put defibrillators in music venues.

Yesterday, Congress voted down two health care proposals, leaving subsidies for the Affordable Care Act likely to expire for millions next year. A health reporter and the head of a program to help Wisconsin residents find insurance detail the impact…

What to know about signing up for 2026 Obamacare coverage in Wisconsin

Time is running out to sign up for a health insurance plan through the marketplaces set up by the Affordable Care Act.

Typically, people buying coverage through the marketplace cannot get health insurance through work and don't qualify for coverage through Medicaid or Medicare.

They include self-employed business owners, gig workers and early retirees.

Consumers have until Jan. 15 to enroll in a marketplace plan. But if they want coverage to start Jan. 1, they must choose a plan by Dec. 15.

More than 84,000 people in Wisconsin signed up for a plan in the first four weeks of open enrollment, in November, according to recently released federal data…

ACA marketplace enrollment down slightly ahead of Dec. 15 deadline

About 4,000 fewer people in Wisconsin signed up at the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace in November for a health plan for next year than did in November 2024 for coverage this year, recently released numbers from the federal government show.

It’s too soon to tell for sure whether that will forecast a significant drop in health coverage through the marketplace, according to William Parke-Sutherland of the Wisconsin family policy research and advocacy group Kids Forward.

Parke-Sutherland and others who pay close attention to health care access in Wisconsin are watching those numbers closely, however.

Monday, Dec. 15, marks a critical deadline — the last day that people who purchase a health plan through the marketplace can sign up for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2026.

The Healthcare.gov marketplace was created as part of the Affordable Care Act. Enacted in 2010 to drive down the ranks of Americans without access to health care, the ACA established the marketplace to make it easier and cheaper for people without coverage from an employer or through government programs such as Medicaid to buy health insurance.

Enhanced tax credit subsidies first enacted in 2021 on health plans sold through the marketplace have helped boost enrollment to new records over the last four years nationally and in Wisconsin. More than 300,000 state residents received their health coverage for 2025 through the marketplace.

Those enhanced subsidies expire at the end of this year, however, leading to forecasts that enrollment will decline in 2026 as the cost of insurance climbs.

How to navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace as costs rise and options shrink

For those who are feeling anxious or overwhelmed about the open enrollment process in the Affordable Care Act's Health Insurance Marketplace, trends in rising premiums and declining availability across Wisconsin can help purchasers better understand their plan options.

People who rely on the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace to choose health insurance for 2026 must contend with a host of challenges over the open enrollment period. Those include hikes in premiums and other fees, the potential ending of tax credits that made payments more affordable, and fewer options in some areas.

That’s as a growing number of residents have used the marketplace. More than 300,000 Wisconsinites, or about 5% of the state’s population, signed up for plans for 2025 at HealthCare.gov — more than double the enrollment from about a decade ago…

As ACA enrollment opens, Wisconsinites experience sticker shock

When Cyan Kelly logged into healthcare.gov, she says she was alarmed to discover that her monthly premium had skyrocketed.

The Marshfield area resident says she has numerous medical conditions including multiple sclerosis. 

“I need health insurance,” said Kelly, an independent research contractor who also works retail. 

Up to 60,000 Wisconsinites could lose Obamacare coverage if subsidies expire, insurance official warns

About 40,000 to 60,000 Wisconsinites who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could lose coverage, the state's top insurance official estimated, if Congress does not extend subsidies that make the health plans cheaper.

The subsidies helped drive this year's record-high enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, with about 300,000 Wisconsin consumers signing up for coverage. That could be undone, Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek said, if the subsidies go back to previous, reduced levels at the end of the year, when increases to the financial aid expire.

Expanded ACA subsidies set to expire, leaving thousands of Wisconsinites at risk of losing coverage

In 2021, Congress passed premium tax credits expanded eligibility for reduced cost of Affordable Care Act healthcare plans. Initially, this was supposed to last until 2022, under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, but this was continued through 2025 via the FY2022 Budget Reconciliation Law, according to congress.gov. 

With the subsidies about to expire, health insurance plans are expected to rise in price. Around 300,000 people enrolled in these ACA plans are lower to middle class Wisconsinites, and many of these people may decide that healthcare will no longer be affordable to them without PTCs, UW Chair of the Risk and Insurance Department Justin Sydnor said.  

Within the past couple of weeks, insurance plans have risen by more than 30 percent, and Covering Wisconsin, an organization dedicated to connecting Wisconsinites with health insurance programs, is already hearing from Wisconsinites that they cannot afford these increases, according to Covering Wisconsin Enrollment, Network and Accessibility Manager Caroline Gomez-Tom.

“With the end of these enhanced premium tax credits, we’re already hearing from folks that they make go without [health insurance]…They have other bills to pay, they have food to put on the table,” said Gomez-Tom.

How to navigate the health care marketplace as premiums rise and options shrink

People who rely on the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace to choose health insurance for 2026 must contend with a host of challenges as the open enrollment period begins. Those include hikes in premiums and other fees, the potential ending of tax credits that made payments more affordable, and fewer options in some areas. 

That’s as a growing number of residents have used the marketplace. More than 300,000 Wisconsinites, or about 5% of the state’s population, signed up for plans last year at HealthCare.gov — more than double the enrollment from about a decade ago. 

ACA premiums expected to skyrocket for Wisconsinites

Gov. Evers and state insurance experts estimate that healthcare insurance premiums will skyrocket next year.

County Executive Crowley Highlights Open Enrollment Period for Marketplace Insurance, Calls on Congress to Extend ACA Tax Credits to Lower Health Care Costs for Working Families

MILWAUKEE — During a press conference at the Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley called on President Donald Trump and congressional leaders to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced tax credits to lower health care costs and prevent insurance premiums from spiking for working families in Wisconsin. Crowley also reinforced the urgency for residents to enroll in HealthCare.gov Marketplace health care coverage during the 2025–26 Open Enrollment period, which ends on January 15, 2026.

“Access to affordable healthcare coverage is fundamental to our vision of becoming the healthiest county in Wisconsin,” said County Executive Crowley. “When people lose or can no longer afford healthcare coverage, they face impossible choices. Working families should not have to decide between paying their bills, putting food on the table, or accessing quality, affordable healthcare coverage. It’s time for President Trump and leaders in Congress to both end the federal government shutdown and extend the enhanced ACA tax credits so people can access the healthcare they need at a price they can afford.”

Open Enrollment begins, Wisconsinites likely to see higher costs

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - More than 24 million Americans receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and over 90 percent of enrollees get federal tax credits to help lower costs.

As the government shutdown continues, many Wisconsinites may face higher prices.

“It’s really important for people to think very carefully about what their families need from their coverage because prices across the board are going to go up for 2026,” Reba Rice, the Chief Community Officer with Northlakes Community Clinic, said.

As open enrollment begins, Wisconsinites might be surprised to see higher costs. Those prices could especially go up for low-income families if lawmakers don’t extend federal subsidies that cut their costs. In the meantime, local leaders are emphasizing the importance of health insurance.

Open enrollment underway on HealthCare.gov; what to know

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Enrollment Network and Covering Wisconsin on Tuesday, Nov. 4 welcomed state and local leaders to kick off the 2025-26 HealthCare.gov Marketplace Open Enrollment Season.

Open Enrollment Season runs from November 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026. During the news conference, officials shared key policy updates, information about why insurance coverage is important, and how residents can get or stay connected to Marketplace or Medicaid coverage…. 

With health insurance premiums expected to rise, here’s how to prepare for ACA open enrollment

Saturday marks the start of the open enrollment period for Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. And with pandemic-era health insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of this year, premiums are expected to spike.

Extending those tax subsidies is the central demand from Democrats in the negotiations over the ongoing government shutdown.

In Wisconsin, more than 310,000 people purchased their 2025 health insurance through the ACA marketplace, according to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. On Monday, the office released its 2026 projections for how much premiums will go up for select groups of enrollees. Gov. Tony Evers said insurance rates for many covered through Wisconsin’s ACA exchange will increase by between 200 to 800 percent next year…

Retirees Face Insurance Uncertainty During Government Shutdown

Here is what you need to know. 

(JUNEAU) Americans who use advanced premium tax credits to help pay for Affordable Care Act coverage are sweating out the long government shutdown.

“The advanced tax credits are for people between 300%-400% of the federal poverty level, which is potentially a lot of retirees, depending on how they have their income stream set up,” said Amanda Higgins, an elder benefit specialist with the Dodge County Aging and Disability Resource Center.

Health care subsidies are the sticking point of the shutdown fight between Republicans and Democrats. Higgins told Daily Dodge that people with questions should contact their insurance agent or reach out to a U-W Madison Extension program called Covering Wisconsin.