WASHINGTON D.C. (WRN) - Wisconsin’s 2 U.S. senators say they’ve fought hard to include items in the new health care reform bill which benefit the Badger State. But Democrats Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold have been getting calls wondering why they didn’t cut deals like the one given to Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson. He agreed to provide the crucial 60th vote after the bill was amended to shield Nebraska from the costs tied to the growth in Medicaid programs. Attorneys general from 7 other states questioned the constitutionality of what they called the “Nebraska compromise.” But Vermont, Louisiana, and Massachusetts also won extra help for their Medicaid programs. And seniors in Florida got a special deal to keep their Medicare advantage programs. Feingold says he’ll introduce legislation to remove those sweetheart deals if they’re in the final bill to be set by a House-Senate conference committee. Feingold and Kohl said they worked for items that not only benefit Wisconsin, but are also good public policy – things like changing Medicare reimbursement rates to help providers in rural states, and creating a “value index” that rewards the quality of the care provided. Also, states with existing health programs for the poor like Wisconsin’s Badger Care would not lose Medicaid funds to states which don’t have those programs.