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Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Lesch (DFL)

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You’re Invited: Community Health Care Forum, July 22

Monday, July 8, 2019

Dear Neighbors,
 
Thank you to everyone who attended our recent Town Hall Forum with Sen. Marty, Rep. Hausman, and me. We’re deeply grateful for the interest and participation in our state government from our neighbors.
 
I’d like to also invite you to another upcoming event in our community focusing on another issue significantly impacting our future: health care.
 
Minnesota has a long-time reputation as a leader in both health insurance access and health metrics. However, in recent years, we have seen an increase in our uninsured rate and troubling declines in some key public health rankings. Furthermore, there are significant racial and ethnic disparities in our health care system. HMOs continue to operate with little accountability, and after Republicans eliminated our state’s prohibition on for-profit health insurers, more than $6 billion worth of charitable assets remain at risk of corporate raid. We’ve made some progress in addressing health care outcomes and patient satisfaction, but there are still significant gaps.
 
Ultimately, however, I believe that we must start taking the necessary steps to establish a single payer health care system in Minnesota. Such a program reduces health care costs by eliminating administrative waste and encouraging preventive medical care. In addition to helping people, it would help businesses by taking the growing burden of providing employee health care off of their shoulders.
 
In partnership with the Minnesota Nurses Association, I’d like to invite you to join me for a Health Care Forum on Monday, July 22 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at the Como Lakeside Pavilion (1360 Lexington Pkwy N.) where we will discuss a potential single payer health care system in Minnesota. We will examine how a single payer framework might look, address some common misconceptions, and outline the work we will need to do, together, to make this a reality.
 
The event is free to attend and everyone in the community is welcome. For more information, call my Capitol office at 651-296-4224. It’s an honor to represent you.
 
Sincerely,
 
John Lesch
State Representative