Friends,
Before the legislature recessed for the Passover & Easter break, we passed all of our budget bills to fund the government for the next two years and I played my colleagues off for break. Conference committees were appointed on our first day back last Tuesday to get to work on resolving the differences between the House & Senate versions of the budget bills. House Public Services put together about the whole conference committee process here. You can read below about where health care reform stands in Minnesota and see a few pictures from constituents who have come to meet me at the Capitol and around our district. Have a great week!
Rep. Loonan with visited with St. Gertrude's reps to talk about labor and workforce issues
Health Care Reform Update
Over the past few months, my colleagues and I have heard from families from around Minnesota who have seen their health insurance premiums skyrocket. While Washington seems to have put health care reform on the back burner, we have made good progress in the Minnesota on this issue.
The first bill, the Emergency Aid & Access act provided emergency relief for 130,000 Minnesotans, delivering 25% premium reduction that will be seen by those who qualify as early as this month. The law also includes reforms to ensure continued access to doctors for people receiving life-saving treatment; provide affordable options for small businesses and their employees; increase competition and options on the individual market; protect patients from unfair billing practices; and allow organizations with member owners – such as farm cooperatives – to provide health insurance to their members.
The second bill, the Minnesota Premium Security Plan, is designed to stabilize premiums by mitigating the impact of high risk individuals, or those who are the most sick, on the individual health insurance market. Even Governor Dayton’s administration estimated this reform could reduce premium rates by 20 percent in 2018 and beyond. We also included a key requirement that insurers make available plans with access to more than one network of doctors and hospitals, increasing affordable options for consumers.
I have a few ideas on what the next steps should be. We need to bring the market back in to the health care industry. We need transparency for consumers and to give them more information to make better choice. You can watch my video on this here.
It's a treat when constituents come to visit - this is Mark & Teresa Willems sitting in my
seat at on the House Floor
Showing constituents the retiring room
If you have any other questions on any of my bills or anything else going on at the legislature, please reach out to my office at (651) 296-8872. You can also reach me via email at rep.bob.loonan@house.mn.
Have a great week,
Bob