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Statement from Rep. Matt Dean on MNsure rate release

Wednesday, October 1, 2014
St. Paul, MN—Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, issued the following statement following the release of the MNsure rates for 2014-2015 open enrollment, which revealed double-digit increases for a substantial number of consumers enrolled through MNsure. The lowest-cost option for many is increasing by more than 20 percent next year alone, but the real lsoers are those will pay even more or lose their coverage due to Dayton policies.

"MNsure has been the best example of government at its worst. Rather than helping Minnesotans keep the best healthcare in the country, Gov Dayton and his allies in the legislature have made things worse. President Obama promised Minnesotans we could keep our doctor and keep our health insurance. They just made things worse for the 140,000 Minnesotans who lost coverage as a result of the broken promises of federalizing healthcare," Dean said.

"Minnesotans, who have been harmed by these choices deserve the truth. They deserve to keep the doctor they had. They deserve to keep the plan they were told they could keep. Today, after learning that the already disastrous MNsure experiment had lost 60% of its remaining policies, you would think the Democrats would level with Minnesota, admit that a mistake was made, apologize and try to get people the healthcare they had and were told they could keep. To add insult to injury, they just keep making things worse.

"Governor Dayton rushed Minnesota to be among the very first states into ObamaCare. While other states, like Oregon had the good sense to abandon their disastrous health exchanges, Governor Dayton and the Democrats pushed all the harder despite the fact that this agency was melting down even before it was up and running. Minnesota, with the best quality medicine in the world, should have been the last state dragged into this mess, not the first to volunteer. President Obama, realizing the problems states were having offered Minnesota a waiver to delay the damage for at least a year. Governor Dayton, unlike 39 other governors of both parties said “no thanks.”

"The MNSure rates released today only paint a small piece of the picture. MNsure has failed to meet any standard of success predicted by Dayton’s consultants. They have been wrong all along. For Minnesotans outside the exchange, rates are skyrocketing even more than those left in it. According to a recent Freedom Foundation analysis, rates for small groups will increase 40-70 percent. Governor Dayton signed legislation taking away a cap on how much big insurance companies can raise rates. Those left in the exchange will see huge increases. Minnesotans who are left in the lurch may indeed pay the most for Governor Dayton foolishly doubling down on this disaster," Dean concluded.

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