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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

A Wisconsin business owner's journey through the ACA

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Friday, June 7, 2024   

The Affordable Care Act, in place for nearly 15 years, has survived repeal attempts, but there's renewed talk of reducing its funding.

Later this year, Congress will have to agree on a new federal budget, and the Republican Study Committee proposes cuts to certain social programs, including the ACA.

Chrysa Ostenso, who owns an optometry clinic with her husband in northern Wisconsin, said premiums under the ACA were expensive at first, but recent caps ushered in through temporary tax credits have given her a lot more wiggle room.

"When I realized I was going to be saving $1,000 a month on my health-care premium," she said, "I basically just had the freedom to raise all my employees' salaries."

She said her total savings are roughly $1,600 a month. The temporary caps only run through 2025, prompting separate calls for extensions. In the current budget debate, Ostenso said she worries that people would lose coverage if the ACA sees cuts, resulting in skipped doctor visits and worsening health outcomes.

Republican Study Committee members have argued their blueprint contains sensible policies to address the national debt.

Ostenso said the premium cap from recent ACA adjustments didn't just result in pay raises for her staff; it put them on a better path to obtaining health coverage themselves.

"We always just had to encourage our employees to get health insurance, and try to pay them enough to do it," she said, "and it really wasn't until the 8% that we succeeded in that, and they started all having health insurance."

Aside from premium cost factors, Ostenso said a ban on denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions helped her family when her daughter was battling cancer. Nowadays, she said she hopes other community members benefit from the ACA provisions, including those who are near retirement age.

"Maybe they'd want to retire a little early, mostly because they physically couldn't do their jobs anymore," she said. "And they would just tell me, 'Well, I'm just going uninsured for these few years until I can qualify for Medicare.' Well, those are the years of your life where you're going to start developing some bad health problems."


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Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

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