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State Representative Matt Dean
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3018
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS RELEASE
DEAN AND BUNN MEET WITH LOCAL HOSPITAL PHYSICIANS AND STAFF
Stillwater – Representative Matt Dean (R – Dellwood) and Representative Julie Bunn (DFL – Lake Elmo) recently met with staff and physicians at Lakeview Hospital. Dean and Bunn updated the group on bipartisan workgroups at the legislature preparing for legislation in 2008 and beyond. Dean and Bunn serve together on the Health Policy and Finance Committee and are serving on health reform work groups.
"Healthcare and government are intersecting more and more," Dean remarked, “and the intersection can be a collision or a partnering to extend health insurance to all Minnesotans." Dean also noted “Minnesota is a high quality, low cost state, and we are number one in terms of how many we insure." According to Dean if we are, as United Health again ranked Minnesota last year, the nation's healthiest state, our first order should be "do no harm."
Dean said in cautioning the group on the perils of moving toward a government run, single payer system. "We have two work groups looking at this right now,” Dean informed the group. Just across the border the Wisconsin State Senate recently passed a proposal that would impose a $5 billion payroll tax on all Wisconsin residents to move to a government system. “That's not free,” Dean affirmed “and it does not protect access.” Dean argues that by moving more people from private insurance to government insurance which reimburses providers below cost, “we will kill access, ration care, remove choice and shut the doors of providers in outstate Minnesota.”
Responding to a concern from Dr. Bruce Bartie, Dean said he would again introduce a healthcare tort reform bill to address unnecessary procedures and skyrocketing malpractice insurance. As a result of such occurrences Dean noted, "Good doctors are being sued out of business with frivolous lawsuits, and unnecessary tests are being performed.” He also pointed out one in six obstetricians are no longer delivering babies in Minnesota.
Dean criticized the way these drastic changes were being pushed through. He lamented the fact that so much was being done in work groups in Saint Paul, when the legislature is not in session, during the day when most doctors are seeing patients, and most legislators are home with their private sector jobs.
Dean acknowledges Minnesota's healthcare system is not perfect and that it needs many reforms to address cost and access. “But I can tell you that all of the answers are with folks like you and not with 201 legislators who are more than willing to make medical decisions for you and your patients,” Dean said.
Dean promoted a consumer driven reform package that allows patients to keep their doctors, their plan and reward positive healthcare financial and health wellness decisions. To do that, Dean said he wanted to hear from more front line providers like the physicians at Lakeview. He promised to travel to other clinics and hospitals around the state this fall.
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