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State Representative Paul Thissen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5375
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
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GOP HEALTH CARE PLAN FAILS TO ADDRESS RISING COSTS
ST. PAUL – State Representative Paul Thissen, Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, said all legislators need to work together to help middle class Minnesotans who continue to see health care costs take a bigger and bigger bite out of their incomes each year. Thissen said that over the last several months there has been good bi-partisan effort to find real, substantive ways to reform the health care system.
"The real issue is making sure Minnesotans have affordable health care choices." Thissen said. “I am impatient with people who only talk about the reasons we cannot proceed with healthcare reform. The time has past for small thinking. Minnesotans want their elected representatives to stand up and present a plan that makes affordable health care choices a reality for families and small businesses in this state. Give Minnesotans a real solution to talk about, to think about, to express their opinions about. Now is the time to be bold in our efforts to achieve quality, affordable health care.”
"We have an historic opportunity to make Minnesota the state where we achieve the fundamental goal that everyone shares - that no Minnesotan pays more than he or she can reasonably afford for health care," said Thissen. "I look forward to continuing to work with my Republican colleagues in the House, many of whom are deeply involved in the health care reform efforts we've undertaken this summer and fall, on sound legislation that will truly benefit the people of Minnesota."
“I am disappointed that House Republican leadership have come out swinging before a plan is even finalized – and without any real alternative that is something other than tinkering around the edges.” Thissen said. “Their strategy is obvious. They know Minnesotans are ready for real reform that gives Minnesotans affordable health care choices so they want to derail any discussion before it gets out to the public. We are not going to allow the public to get locked out of the debate.”
Thissen commented on the health care ideas the Republicans have been floating this fall. "Most of this we have heard before, and honestly, this is a plan that time has passed by. It does nothing to reduce health care costs and make affordable health care choices available to Minnesotans. Now is the time to be bold in our efforts to achieve quality, affordable health care."
Thissen said that while there are some Republican ideas that make sense and are already being considered as part of the reform process, the overall plan misses the mark on the most critical aspect of health care reform – rising health care costs.
According to Thissen, there is no evidence that most of the changes proposed in the GOP plan are either needed, or effective. One of the proposals calls for open competition on health care instead of the non-profit plans that currently provide 80 percent of the coverage in Minnesota.
"Compared to other states, Minnesota health care costs are low," said Thissen. "There is no evidence that for-profit health plans whose obligation is to their shareholders have lowered costs in any other state."
The proposal calls for fewer mandates on private health care – state law requirements that a certain type of treatment be included in an insurance policy. Thissen said that only two mandates have any significant effect on health care costs: maternity services and mental health services.
"Minnesotans do not agree with Rep. Seifert that we should keep mothers-to-be and those in need of mental health services from seeing a doctor," said Thissen.
Another component in the plan calls for repealing the Minnesota Care tax.
"More than half a million Minnesotans have health care coverage through MinnesotaCare programs," said Thissen. "These are working Minnesotans whose employer does not offer health insurance. Repealing the MinnesotaCare tax would destroy the program and set the state back decades in its efforts to make health care affordable for middle class Minnesotans."
Rep. Thissen said that our state's struggling economy makes the economic stimulus that comes with health care reform even more important.
"If we can control healthcare costs in this state and give people affordable options for health care coverage, we can absolutely unleash pent-up creative and productive energies of all Minnesotans," said Thissen. " Lowering health care costs will make Minnesota businesses more competitive and help attract new businesses to our state.
News Items
- DFL Leaders Eager to Confront Minnesota’s Challenges with Focus on Economy and Middle Class - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 2:21PM)
- State Representative John Persell appointed Majority Whip - (Posted: Dec 21 2012 1:11PM)
- Speaker-designate Thissen to Establish Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs - (Posted: 2012-12-19 00:00:00)
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