Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

"I support the Minnesota Health Plan, which would cover all Minnesotans through a public plan."
"A well-designed health care system that provides high-quality care at the right time at a reasonable cost is good not only for the health of Minnesotans but also for the economy of Minnesota."
"Fixing our health care system will help us attract businesses and workers, increase productivity, and make Minnesota's products and services more competitive."

The federal health reform bill has moved us closer to giving all Minnesotans access to affordable health care. While the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, I support most of its provisions. Minnesota legislators will have much to do in the next few years to make health care reform happen in the state and I will be working to make sure that those changes work for my constituents and all of Rochester.
However, we can go farther. I support the Minnesota Health Plan, which would cover all Minnesotans through a public plan. Even before the federal bill I was working to improve health care in Minnesota--focusing on changing how care is provided and reducing costs.
A well-designed health care system that provides high-quality care at the right time at a reasonable cost is good not only for the health of Minnesotans but also for the economy of Minnesota. Fixing our health care system will help us attract businesses and workers, increase productivity, and make Minnesota's products and services more competitive.
Health care providers should be paid fairly for the care they provide to Minnesotans. When the state pays less than the actual cost to provide the care, providers can not "make it up on volume." This is especially important for Rochester with Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center as major employers. Fair payment will allow our health professionals to continue producing the excellent outcomes for which Rochester is famous.
Other critical issues in health care include looming shortages of health care providers in rural parts of Minnesota, especially providers of primary care. We must also continue state support for biomedical research that will continue to produce medical miracles and power our future economy.
The federal health reform law gives us an early opportunity to cover more Minnesotans with Medicaid--before 2014 when the expansion becomes available to all states. I strongly support this expansion, which would bring in $7.50 for every dollar Minnesota contributes to provide health insurance for Minnesotans who don't yet have it.

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