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State Representative Patti Fritz
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8237
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
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NUMBER OF UNINSURED MINNESOTANS INCREASES AGAIN
New information released on Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the number of Minnesotans who are without health insurance has risen again. According to the report, the number of uninsured in Minnesota increased from 7.9 percent in 2005 to 9.2 percent in 2006, for a total of 465 thousand uninsured Minnesotans. The growing number of uninsured reflects an ominous trend of employers dropping coverage for workers.
"Health care and health insurance are quickly becoming the top concerns for people in our state," said State Representative Patti Fritz (DFL-Faribault). "Even those people who are fortunate enough to have insurance worry what will happen if they should lose it.
Without health insurance, who can afford to go to the doctor?"
The report shows that while more people are moving out of poverty, they are taking jobs that don’t provide health insurance.
"The sad fact is that fewer and fewer employers can afford the cost of providing employee health insurance," said Fritz. "MinnesotaCare was created to fill that gap, but cuts over the previous years to this nation-leading program have left thousands of Minnesotans with no option for affordable health insurance."
Last session, the Health and Human Services Bill provided coverage for approximately 37 thousand additional children and self-employed farmers in Minnesota, and expanded access for low-income adults. Unfortunately, according to Fritz, the Bush Administration recently made changes to the state children's health insurance program, known as S-CHIP, that may put this expanded coverage in jeopardy.
"It is just not acceptable for so many people in the richest nation in the world to be uninsured," said Fritz. "This needs to be a top priority – everyone in our state deserves affordable health care."
For more information, contact Rep. Patti Fritz at (651) 296-8237, 551 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.patti.fritz@house.mn.
News Items
- STATE REP. PATTI FRITZ PARTICIPATES IN START OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 3:32PM)
- Rep. Fritz: Homeowners, Farmers Need Property Tax Relief - (Posted: 2012-05-01 00:00:00)
- Rep. Fritz: Let’s Vote on a Bonding Bill that Benefits All - (Posted: 2012-04-19 00:00:00)
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