Greetings from St. Paul!
As I am sure you have heard, Governor Dayton experienced a bit of a health scare earlier in the week while giving his State of State address on Monday. He then announced to the media the next day that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Please join me in keeping the Governor and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Passage of Senate File 1 (Premium Relief):
On Thursday afternoon, the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved the conference committee report for Senate File 1, and by Thursday evening it was signed by the Governor. The bill provides a 25% premium reduction to Minnesotans who do not qualify for MNsure tax credits on the individual market, and includes key reforms to preserve care for those receiving life-saving treatments and increase competition and consumer choice moving forward.
Some of the reforms in this bill include:
- Allowing for-profit HMOs to operate in Minnesota (like most states) which will increase options for consumers
- Modifying stop loss coverage to make it easier for more small businesses to offer affordable insurance to their employees.
- Providing greater transparency for proposed insurance premium changes by requiring earlier disclosure of proposed rates.
- Allowing Agricultural Cooperatives to offer group health insurance to their members so farmers and their families can get better access to care and more affordable coverage.
- Ensuring Minnesota employees can benefit from the recently passed federal 21st Century Cures Act which allows employers to make pre-tax contributions toward employee health insurance costs.
- Network adequacy reform that will assist in ensuring more options for residents in rural Minnesota.
- Prohibiting surprise billing to protect consumers from previously undisclosed costs.
This morning I was stopped at the Shoreview Community Center by one of our fellow community members. He told me that he had decided to not purchase health insurance this year due to exorbitant costs. However, after seeing the passage of this bill (Senate File 1), he reversed course and decided to purchase coverage. I hope this bill gives others the opportunity to do the same.
2017 Principal of the Year:
Congratulation to Mounds View High School principal, Jeff Ridlehoover, on being named the 2017 Principal of the Year by the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP)! Thank you, Dr. Ridlehoover for all that you do for our students, our schools, and our community.
Upcoming Events:
Senator Jason Isaacson and I will be co-hosting a town hall meeting Saturday, February 11th from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Shoreview City Hall (4600 Victoria St. N.). I encourage those who wish to discuss any legislative or local issue to attend. I hope to see you there!
Contact Me:
For any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-0141 or rep.randy.jessup@house.mn. Thank you again for allowing me to represent you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Randy