Healthcare Costs are Our Issue
By Curt Kubiak, President and CEO
As another election season approaches, we'll hear candidates debate about taxes, education, public safety, and countless other issues that shape our communities.
One issue, however, affects every Wisconsinite regardless of political affiliation: healthcare.
Our health can get lost among other issues we face until it affects us directly. When we face a significant health issue, it leaps to the top of the issues list at once. Further, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree on this scenario. The healthcare we need at that moment can be difficult to access and then costs too much.
Our employees continue to pay more in premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Employers are facing difficult decisions as healthcare expenses consume a growing share of their budgets.
Patients are navigating an increasingly complex system, and everyone is feeling the pressure.
With 51% of voters saying healthcare costs are extremely important for candidates to talk about, healthcare affordability is one of the few issues that offers an opportunity for bipartisan progress.
Look for Leaders Who Will Move Healthcare Forward
While candidates differ on where they place the greatest emphasis, both parties recognize that healthcare costs remain a major challenge.
The United States spends more on healthcare than any other nation. In 2025 alone, we spent more than $5.7 trillion on healthcare. Spending is projected to reach $9 trillion by 2034. This is unsustainable. We cannot continue down this path.
One area of broad agreement is the need for greater transparency to help improve affordability, accountability, and value across healthcare.
Whoever voters elect this November, here in Wisconsin and across the country, will inherit these challenges.
So, as you’re vetting candidates, I encourage you to pay close attention to what they say about healthcare.
- Do they support improving healthcare affordability and access?
- Do they support innovation that rewards value?
- Do they support the role employers play in providing healthcare coverage?
- Do they support collaboration between healthcare stakeholders? Or do they focus on problems in one area?
These questions matter because there is no single policy or one-size-fits-all solution that will fix healthcare overnight. It took decades for our healthcare system to become this complex. And it will take time, persistence, and collaboration to improve it.
Healthcare is a problem worth solving, and we can make change happen by working together as legislators, providers, and employers creating solutions together. Fortunately, we've already seen reasons to be optimistic.
The Alliance is Part of the Solution
The Alliance doesn't suggest we have all the answers. Healthcare is too complex for any one organization to solve alone. But we are collaborative, tenacious and curious. We believe progress begins by asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and the status quo, and building on one another's ideas.
We are bringing industry experts together to have meaningful discussions about positive change. Our goal is to get people thinking because some of the greatest breakthroughs happen because someone is willing to challenge what is considered impossible.
The Alliance is working toward increased competition, choice, and access which could lead to the democratization of healthcare. A system where employers have meaningful information, employees can make informed decisions, and providers are rewarded for delivering value.
When Healthcare Costs Less, Everyone Wins
Lowering the cost of healthcare isn’t a single party goal, it’s an American goal. Every unnecessary healthcare dollar spent is a dollar that could be invested in higher wages, business growth, and stronger communities. Every barrier that keeps someone from accessing affordable, high-quality care affects all of us.
In summary, we are not advocating for a political party or a particular candidate, but rather for better outcomes.
In my case, I want my sons, and someday their children, to inherit a healthcare system that is more affordable, more transparent, and easier to navigate than the one we have today. I know I’m not alone in this thought.
As voters, we have an opportunity to ask thoughtful questions and hold our leaders accountable for making healthcare a priority.
No election will solve the issues in our healthcare system on its own, but it can place us on a path toward a better future for us all.
If we continue working together, and elect leaders who are committed to making healthcare more affordable and accessible, we can keep building on the progress that's already underway.
As we all can agree, when healthcare costs less, everyone wins.
I'd love to hear your perspective. What healthcare issues matter most to you as you evaluate candidates this election season? Share your thoughts at OnWisconsinHealthcare@the-alliance.org.
Curt Kubiak is the President and CEO of The Alliance, a non-for-profit cooperative that helps employers save money on their healthcare spend. After an early career in the manufacturing sector, Kubiak has spent nearly two decades as an executive in the healthcare industry in Wisconsin.
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