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State Representative Tom Hackbarth
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-2439
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
SOLUTIONS TO THE HEALTH CARE PROBLEM
By Tom Hackbarth
State Representative
Last week I discussed why universal health care is not the right step for Minnesota to take to improve our health care system. There are certainly problems within the system that we have right now. Here are some common sense proposals to fix the system that we should all be able to agree on.
The first piece of the solution is opening the health care industry in Minnesota to the free market. Currently we only have three companies that offer health insurance in Minnesota. This is a monopoly. If we bring competition into the health care industry we will get better care at lower prices. When people have a choice they will choose the best value for their money. When companies compete for our money they will try to offer better services for lower cost. This is just the first common sense change we should make.
The second common sense change is reducing the number of mandates on health insurance. Currently there are over 30 different mandates the state requires health insurance companies to have, with each one adding to the cost of insurance. If the state allowed people to buy cafeteria type health care plans, that is pick and choose which coverage they want, their health care insurance costs would decrease. A single male should not have to be covered for neonatal care. The male will not need that coverage. If we don’t mandate he be covered for that it will save him money.
By implementing these first two common sense changes we could drastically bring down the cost of health care. By reducing the cost we make it more affordable for people to be covered, for what the specifically need, and reduce the end cost at the hospital. If people have insurance they are more likely to seek medical attention before they have to go to the emergency room.
The third common sense change is tort reform. This is being seen across the nation. California has a tort reform law. California limits medical malpractice lawsuit payouts to $250,000. When the possibility is there for doctors to be sued for millions of dollars their insurance premiums rise to cover that. By using this piece of tort reform we can cap the outrageous payouts and bring down the insurance cost for a doctor which brings down the end user cost.
These proposals will likely be discussed this coming legislative session as alternatives to the government take over of health care. These are common sense solutions that should be implemented. They would let your health care discussions be between you and your doctor and not between you and the government. You could still get the care you need while saving money.
These proposals are a big step forward for those who do not have health insurance with their job, and for those who make too much to qualify for Minnesota Care. These proposals would also help businesses assist their employees with health care insurance because of the lower cost. With lower health care costs we can help the people who are reaching retirement age to retire. Those who are already retired would be spending less of their retirement income on insurance costs.
These proposals are not the silver bullet, as there is no single proposal that will solve this issue over night. However, these proposals are the most fiscally responsible way to start the necessary changes in the health care system. I look forward to working for these changes next session.
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