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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
NEWS COLUMN
HEALTH CARE TOP CONCERN FOR MOST MINNESOTANS
For over 30 years I have worked in the health care industry. In all of those years, I don't remember a time when health care concerns weighed as heavily on people's minds as they do today. Whether it's access to coverage or the high cost of treatment and prescriptions, over 80 percent of Minnesotans rank health care as their number one issue of concern. Even those who are fortunate to have good insurance worry what will happen if they should lose it.
The recent story in the Faribault Daily News about the growing need for health care for students during the school day touches on a persistent worry in our state – over 70 thousand Minnesota children are not covered by any health insurance plan. The high cost of office calls for preventive care or minor health issues often means that for some children, the only nurse they may see is the school nurse, until they get so sick they are brought into the emergency room.
New information released in August by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that the number of Minnesotans who are without health insurance continues to worsen. According to the report, the number of uninsured in Minnesota increased from almost 8 percent in 2005 to over 9 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.
To add to the woes of the uninsured, this week President Bush vetoed legislation that would have reauthorized the effective State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). Set to expire in November, this program helps cover children whose families cannot afford health insurance but make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.
Since it's beginning in 1997, S-CHIP has provided health care coverage for close to 7 million children nationwide, including 36 thousand in Minnesota. Because Minnesota also has a similar insurance program of its own, MinnesotaCare, we are one of the states that was granted a waiver to use this federal S-CHIP funding to insure parents and pregnant women. This federal money has been used to cover over 120 thousand Minnesotans, and if this veto stands, our state is predicted to lose $88 million next year, causing the ranks of the uninsured to swell again.
These growing numbers strengthen my commitment to keep access to affordable health insurance for every Minnesotan on the forefront at the state legislature. We made some progress on our goal to cover all kids last session, providing coverage for approximately 37 thousand additional children, as well as self-employed farmers and expanding access for low-income adults. In 2008, we will work to add to that number.
Whether it's expanding coverage for the uninsured or lowering the cost of health care for all of us, there can be little doubt we need to honestly address this problem. I am optimistic we can make progress if we agree to treat health care as the top priority it is. In a country as rich as ours, every parent should be able to take their child to the doctor, every senior should be able to afford their medicine, and working men and women should be able to afford health insurance.
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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