Barring a gubernatorial veto,
HF2339/
SF1933* would enable the state to join a health care compact, contingent upon congressional approval.
Rep. Steve Gottwalt (R-St. Cloud) and Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) sponsor the bill, which passed the House 70-58
April 25 and the Senate 37-28 on April 26. It now goes to Gov. Mark Dayton for action.
Assuming congressional approval, the federal government would then return an estimated $13.5 billion in state health care contributions and allow the state to spend it without federal strings attached.
“This is the ultimate global waiver,” Gottwalt said.
“We need this compact to do pilot programs and to experiment on how to deliver health care more effectively and efficiently and to get higher reimbursements,” said Rep. Glenn Greunhagen (R-Glencoe).
Opponents said the bill is an attempt to avoid designing a health insurance exchange as mandated by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and that it may have the opposite effect by requiring Minnesota to adopt a federal health insurance exchange in lieu of designing its own.
“There are some things you just don’t mess with, and you don’t mess with my momma’s Medicare,” said Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights).
Gottwalt said the bill would apply to Medicaid and MinnesotaCare.
Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth) said the way the bill is written, it would include Medicare, as well; Gottwalt said that was a mischaracterization.
“Minnesota already belongs to a compact. It’s called the United States of America,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester). “Contact your congressman; contact your senator, vote them out … that’s our process that we have. We don’t need this bill,” Liebling said.
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