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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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SEIU: HEALTH CARE WORKERS PAY TOO MUCH FOR HEALTH COVERAGE
St. Paul, MN - SEIU Local 113, the union that represents health care workers such as LPN's, housekeepers and aides, held a press conference this week to release the results of a study regarding the cost of health coverage to health care providers. According to their data, health care workers pay substantially more than the state average for family health insurance coverage. In Twin Cities hospitals, the amount they pay is more than double.
State Representative. Patti Fritz, who is on the Executive Board of SEIU, was one of the speakers. She said that for all of her 30 years in the health care business, she has seen the cost of health care increase dramatically for the lowest paid health care workers.
"These workers are underpaid to begin with," said Fritz. "No one who cares for the sickest of the sick should have to worry about how to pay for their own doctor visits or medicine."
Julie Schnell, SEIU President, said that health care workers are seeing increases across the board, in co-insurance, deductibles and co-pays. This leads to increased medical debt and reduced access to healthcare.
"Health care workers are naturally exposed to more illnesses on the job, and they also shouldn't be coming to work when they are not feeling well," said Schnell.
It was also pointed out that the lowest paid health care employees pay a higher share of their health care costs than other workers, such as nurses or doctors.
"When you work in the health care field, you just naturally assume that you will have access to good health care," said Fritz. "These valuable workers deserve adequate and affordable health care coverage."
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