President of Wisconsin State Senate Says Health Care Affordability is a Priority

Monday, January 19th, 2026 -- 9:01 AM

(Beatrice Lawrence, Wisconsin Public Radio) The president of the Wisconsin State Senate says making health care more affordable is a priority for Senate Republicans before this legislative session wraps up in March.

According to Beatrice Lawrence with the Wisconsin Public Radio, that goal echoes statements from Gov. Tony Evers on Monday, who said at a press conference his legislative agenda for his final year in office is centered around “addressing rising costs” for Wisconsinites.

Senate President Mary Felzkowski, who represents the 12th district in northern Wisconsin, authored multiple bills related to health care costs during this session. One aims to address cost transparency in health care.

Felzkowski told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” her bill would better enforce existing federal rules around how hospitals inform patients about the cost of procedures and health services. She wants Wisconsin law to have “more teeth” to make up for what she sees as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ failure to enforce those rules.

The bill would allow the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to take action and impose penalties against hospitals found not following federal transparency rules. “The hospitals have fought us on this,” Felzkowski said. “They do not want that transparency, which is a little telling.”

A representative for the Wisconsin Hospital Association said at a legislative hearing that they oppose the “regulatory complexity” and “unlimited fines” on Wisconsin hospitals, “when robust federal regulation and enforcement already exists.”

They also claimed no Wisconsin hospital had been fined for not following those federal rules since they were put in place. During his press conference, Gov. Evers focused on insurance companies instead of hospitals.

He called on the Legislature to pass laws that would audit insurance companies for denying claims at high rates, crack down on prior authorizations and expand the health care services that insurance companies are required to cover.

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