Dear Friends,
This week the House released our Health and Human Services Omnibus bill. As the Chair of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Reform Committee, it was great working with HHS Finance Chair Matt Dean and Aging and Long-Term Care Chair Joe Schomacker on this bill that prioritizes mental health, our aging adults, and expands access to quality health care. Overall, the HHS Omnibus bill spends more than $400 million more than we're currently spending for 2014-2015.
Our bill will transform the way we reimburse senior care centers in Minnesota. It will result in hundreds of millions in increased funding that will help facilities retain talented workers and provide exceptional care for aging Minnesotans. Our local nursing home in Apple Valley would receive an 18% increase as a result of our proposal. House Speaker Kurt Daudt visited the facility today to hear from staff about the impact of these changes.
Our bill also provides a 5% increase to home and community based caregivers who care for some of Minnesota's most vulnerable citizens.
There's also increased funding for mental health, funding for the Safe Harbor Program which will fight sex trafficking, and the Homeless Youth Act, which protects victims of violence and sexual abuse.
Most importantly, our bill works to bend the cost curve on health care spending. Left unchecked, Health and Human Services spending will overwhelm Minnesota's budget, leaving less money for schools, transportation, and other priorities. It's important that health care and government spending not grow faster than the budgets of the families who help pay for state government.
This graph shows HHS spending (red line) compared to median household income (yellow line). Inside the box is a comparison of the Governor's proposal (dotted red line) vs. our proposal (dotted grey line).
In order to bend the cost curve, our program would transition those currently enrolled on MinnesotaCare on to private plans, with a subsidy to help offset the higher cost. Instead of a one-size-fits-all plan, families will be able to choose a plan that fits their needs, empowering them to choose the best coverage.
This will save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year, and is one step we can take to get health care costs under control.
We will be debating and passing budget bills over the next two weeks. If you have questions or comments, please keep in touch by emailing me at rep.tara.mack@house.mn or calling 651-296-5506.
Have a great weekend,
Tara Mack
State Representative, District 57A