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State Representative Joe Atkins

583 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192

For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406

Posted: 2010-03-09 00:00:00
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ATKINS PROPOSES LAW TO INCREASE HEALTH INSURANCE COMPETITION, LOWER PRICES

ST. PAUL, MN – As Washington squabbles over national health care reform, state Rep. Joe Atkins, chair of the House Commerce and Labor Committee, is working across party lines to lower health insurance costs for Minnesotans.

Atkins has introduced a bill (HF3245) that would allow out-of-state health insurers to sell insurance here in Minnesota. The measure would increase competition, improving quality and driving down prices.

“If you live in Minnesota, you can get on the Internet and buy pretty much anything from Wisconsin, Michigan, California, or any other state," said Rep. Atkins. “You can shop around for the best price on books, TVs, and lawnmowers – but the state won’t let you shop around for health insurance. That just doesn’t make sense.”

Atkins argues that shielding the state from insurance competition forces Minnesotans to pay much higher premiums. Governor Tim Pawlenty agrees, citing the fact that three health care plans dominate Minnesota’s insurance market, with a combined market share of more than 80 percent of fully-insured Minnesotans.

“When you control that much of the market, there is no reason for insurers to lower premiums or offer competitive prices,” Atkins said.

Increasing health insurance competition has attracted bipartisan attention at the Capitol this session. Governor Pawlenty and many legislators on both sides of the aisle are hoping to pass an interstate health insurance bill this session. In fact, several interstate insurance bills have been debated in the last several weeks.

But unlike some proposals that exempt out-of-state insurers from Minnesota law, under Atkins’ bill those insurers would still have to comply with Minnesota law, including basic consumer protection requirements.

“If we’re going to do this thing, we have to do it responsibly – and in a way that protects Minnesotans by the full measure of the law,” said Rep. Atkins. “Minnesota has some of the best consumer protection laws in the nation, and we ought to keep it that way.”

After considerable testimony, the Atkins proposal was recommended by the House Health and Human Services Committee and appears headed to the House floor. With broad, bipartisan support for the measure, Atkins is hopeful it will become law this year in Minnesota.

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