Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Know Before You Vote   I’m voting “No” on both of the election-related referendums on the April 2 ballot and I hope readers will do the same. Both of the referendums prohibit the essential private funding and volunteer support that help to make our elections run smoothly and securely. The first referendum reduces the options for municipal governments looking for outside sources of funding for elections without providing alternative resources. This change will shift the burden even further onto tax payers. The second referendum would deprive our hard-working election officials from outside expertise and resources that they need to run our elections accurately. States have a process for handling policy issues - the Legislature passes bills and the Governor signs or vetoes those bills. That gives all of us a chance to learn about the issues and to contact our representatives with feedback. But a handful of politicians in Wisconsin continue to try an end-around by using referendums to alter our Constitution, thus by-passing the Governor. They rely on voters not having enough information to fully understand the referendums, which are often worded in a way that seeks to influence our vote. It’s sneaky and dishonest. Say No to this political trick.   Janet Brandt Arena, WI   Letter to the Editor Vote No Twice   Two constitutional amendment questions are on the April 2 ballot. I’m voting No on both, and I recommend that other Wisconsin voters do the same. Wisconsinites know that voting is a basic right, but some politicians want to pass restrictive laws which affect the safety and security of our elections and prevent voters from making their voices heard. The first question would limit critical funding for our elections without any plan to make sure election administrators have the tools they need. I support fully-funded and well-run elections. That’s why I will vote No on question 1. The second question would rob our hardworking election officials from obtaining outside expertise and community support which would help our elections run smoothly and accurately. I trust my local election officials and want them to have all of the resources they need. That’s why I will vote No on question 2. Our State Legislature is easily able to fully fund our elections, but the Republicans who created these constitutional amendment questions do not want to help local election officials run elections that are smooth and accurate. They want our polling places to be overwhelmed and short-staffed so that many locations would need to be combined. Fewer polling places would affect how long we wait in line to vote and the speed of obtaining election results. The goal is to suppress our votes. I care about fair, secure, and accurate elections, and I care about all of our citizens having the opportunity to vote without needless difficulty. I know most Americans would agree. On April 2, we have the chance to show that our votes matter and that we care about our elections. Vote No on April 2. Visit MyVote.Wi.gov to view your ballot and find your polling place.   Sue Heintz Town of Roxbury, WI   Vote No! on Question 1 and 2 amending the constitution to ban any donations, of any kind, for election-related tasks. These amendments dramatically interfere with the smooth running of almost every local polling site in the state, which have relied for decades on donations of things like voting machines, voting booths, and even the very tables and chairs used by our hard-working poll workers. Rather than working to ensure free and fair elections, these amendments, proposed by radical right-wingers, only serve to make voting more difficult. You’ve gotta give them credit for being sneaky smart, trying to circumvent the power of the people, but this attempt to make voting even more difficult is about as anti-patriotic as it gets.    Patricia McConnell Black Earth, WI   Dear Editor,   This is a “David vs. Goliath” story. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (renamed Elevance) is threatening to take away access to Sauk Prairie Healthcare doctors and services for about 2,700 area residents. After months of negotiating an agreement for us to provide healthcare services to Anthem enrollees, this “Goliath” insurance company’s strong-arm tactics of bullying a small, independent community health system with take-it-or-leave-it terms is leaving patients in limbo about whether they need to cancel appointments and look for a new provider. If an agreement cannot be reached by March 31, Sauk Prairie Healthcare would no longer be an in-network provider for Anthem BCBS, forcing patients to find new doctors and go elsewhere for care. Anthem’s initial proposal included a nearly double-digit decrease in payment, compared to our request for a modest increase consistent with our increased cost to provide care. As a not-for-profit community hospital, our 1.81% operating margin is reinvested back into maintaining and improving services for our patients and purchasing equipment needed to provide that care close to home. In contrast, Anthem is a for-profit organization who last year netted more than $5.5 billion. This is more than a 5% profit margin for their shareholders. Despite our efforts to negotiate in good faith, Anthem’s most recent counteroffer included an overall reduction in reimbursement, which would not cover our costs to provide care. We continue to work to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, but unfortunately Anthem’s use of delay as a negotiating tactic leaves patients to deal with the uncertainty of where they will be able to receive in-network care beginning April 1. We are aware that Anthem consistently uses tactics like delayed negotiations and threatened network termination to force small hospitals into agreements that prioritize Anthem’s profit margins over fair and sustainable reimbursement for providers. Since 1956, Sauk Prairie Healthcare has remained an independent, locally directed community health system. Independence ensures that we are able to make decisions in the best interest of our community. By cutting Sauk Prairie Healthcare out of their network, Anthem’s actions are an assault on your ability to see your local provider and threatening to our independence. We remain hopeful that we will reach a fair agreement with Anthem very soon. For updates and answers to questions, visit www.SaukPrairieHealthcare.org/Anthem . Our patients with Anthem can also call our hotline at 608-643-4111.   Shawn Lerch, CEO, Sauk Prairie Healthcare