Joel Brennan Unveils Health Care Plan, Guarantees Health Coverage for Every Wisconsin Child
Milwaukee, WI – Democratic candidate for governor Joel Brennan today released “A Healthy Wisconsin Promise,” a plan to stabilize health care, lower costs, and ensure access for all Wisconsin families.
At the center of the plan is “Health Care for All Kids” — a guarantee that every child in Wisconsin will have access to health coverage up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, regardless of their parents’ eligibility status. The proposal integrates Medicaid, CHIP, and state funding to close coverage gaps that leave thousands of Wisconsin children uninsured today.
"Wisconsin has one of the strongest health care systems in the country — our hospitals, physicians, and nurses are nationally respected. But the system is under strain, and families feel it every time they can't pay a bill or find a doctor close to home,” said Joel Brennan. “This is ‘The Healthy Wisconsin Promise’, because I intend to keep it. This plan is about making sure Wisconsin works for everyone, including getting every kid the care they need, and I know we can get it done."
The Healthy Wisconsin Promise plan is made up of four pillars, strengthen health care access, especially in rural areas; lower health care costs for families and employers; grow the health care workforce; and treat mental health care as essential health care. Here are just a few additional examples of how Joel will deliver:
Give pharmacists in rural and underserved communities the authority to prescribe medications and provide preventive care, reducing unnecessary ER visits and expanding access where doctors are scarce
Create a state public option that allows small businesses and individuals to buy into the state employee health plan, and crack down on pharmacy benefit managers by banning spread pricing, requiring drug rebates to go back to patients, and guaranteeing that independent pharmacies are paid at fair rates.
Create an earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship program for nurses and allied health professionals to address Wisconsin's projected shortages
Transform mental health crisis response from a law enforcement model into a clinical care model, with mobile crisis teams and regional crisis centers statewide
Read the full comprehensive plan and how we pay for it here.
About Joel Brennan
Joel Brennan is a Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the 2026 election. As Wisconsin’s former top appointed cabinet official and a leader in Milwaukee’s business and nonprofit community, he has spent his career in public service working with government, community leaders, and businesses to strengthen communities, uphold democratic values, and ensure government works for the people it serves. Brennan is running for governor to provide accountable leadership and to ensure Wisconsin families have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. For more information, visit www.BrennanforWI.com.
