(12/21/12) A recent report on Wisconsin health insurance costs is raising some eyebrows in Eau Claire. Wisconsin Citizen Action recently said the average monthly health premium statewide is just over 714-dollars.
Milwaukee has the highest premiums in the Badger State, and Eau Claire is second at almost 762-dollars a month – 24-percent higher than in Madison. John Dickey of the Mayo Clinic Health System tells the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram it's no surprise that Madison's a lot cheaper – because state government employees have more buying power to get lower-cost plans. Also, the Citizen Action report said the higher-cost plans generally offer less access to health care – but Dickey says it's not true in Eau Claire, and he stands behind Mayo's quality. And he said Mayo is working with Eau Claire's Group Health Cooperative on a number of projects aimed at bringing premiums down – including wellness programs and promotion of healthy lifestyles. Robert Kraig of Citizen Action said a lack of competition is partially why Eau Claire's rates are so high.
