Regarding Gregg Underheim's Health Care Response

I wish to comment on a portion of Gregg Underheim's response to question no. 4.

He said:

"Wellness programs for state employees offer the potential for savings. Diabetes, high blood pressure, hip and knee replacements, heart attacks and strokes are all related to the epidemic of obesity. Wellness programs have the potential to provide significant savings of state dollars. "

So, what is Mr. Underheim saying here? And what about the rest of the people of the who live and work in the state of Wisconsin? He's only talking about state employees. Wellness programs are good, there's no argument there. However, they are only effective if people actually participate in them. While they may have some potential to save the state money, the realities of such a program remain to be seen. Weren't HMOs billed as trying to do some of the same things, to serve as preventative care so that health care costs could be held down? Why doesn't he work on some real health care reform in his position as the head of the Health Care committee, and try to solve the problems of high health care costs in the state of Wisconsin.


Sara L. Stichert