Onward to Health Care Reform IV

Joan and I went to an organized rally Saturday, May 21st at the State Capitol focused on the Legislature cutting 140,000 people off medical care, the huge HMO reserves, and the super inflated salaries of the CEO's of the HMO's.  The rally was well organized with great speakers at the rotunda.  We then got on buses (5 of them) and went to the Calhoun Beach Club where Medica's CEO, David Tilford, is a member.  In the rain, about 200 of us chanted outside the club (with David Tilford supposedly inside)--great chants; can't remember any of them and the sheet with them on was "melted" in the rain.  Anyway, the message was "GIVE THE MONEY BACK" and "PROVIDE HEALTH CARE FOR THE PEOPLE".  One  last chant I do remember:  "We'll be back".  Tilford was picked out because Medica has a contract with United Health Group, one of the largest health insurance companies in the country.

The four major Minnesota HMO's that contract with the State of Minnesota to administer public programs for low income people have financial reserves far in excess of what is needed for insurance solvency-- over $600 million in excess.  This excess is due to the large profits that they amassed from their state program contracts.  Returning this money to the state would be an important step in helping balance the state's budget.  So far only Ucare has stepped up by returning $30 million.

Bills introduced for improved transparency and accountability for public health insurance plans have had no consideration by the State Legislature.  This makes one think the health insurance companies have control of the process.

(c)2011 Senate District 25 DFL / Steve & Joan Janusz. All rights reserved.

Note:  Opinions expressed in this article are that of the authors and do not neccessarly reflect the views of the Senate District 25 DFL or DFL in general.

Onward to Health Care Reform III

 

The Republicans at the Federal and State levels are trying to privatize public health insurance programs.  They see the increasing costs of these programs as major reasons for our government deficits.  This is part of their agenda to solve all our problems with competition and the "free market".  The "free market" has brought us to a government run by large corporations through their money buying elections. 

They also conveniently forget how Wall Street created our current mess, not the public health insurance and other social programs.

Here in Minnesota the Republicans have put forward a privatization plan to change existing state public health insurance plans to a voucher system.  Low-income Minnesotans would use vouchers to buy coverage in the private marketplace.  The StarTribune has an article on how this would work, http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/119371774.html.

The voucher system is complex and works fine as long as a person doesn't get sick.  But the whole purpose of health insurance is to protect you when you do get sick!

If the Republicans were open to creative ideas they would embrace the Minnesota Health Plan (MHP), which covers everybody and cost less.

(c)2011 Senate District 25 DFL / Steve & Joan Janusz. All rights reserved.

Note:  Opinions expressed in this article are that of the authors and do not neccessarly reflect the views of the Senate District 25 DFL or DFL in general.

Onward to Health Care Reform

We, Joan and Steve Janusz, have been invited to contribute to the SD 25 web site. For the past three years we have educated ourselves on our health care system focusing on accessibility and payment. It’s been quite a roller coaster ride!

There are four major conclusions we believe:
1. Health care is an issue of justice; everybody has a “right” to quality health care

2. Our present health care payment systems are very costly and we can’t sustain the increasing costs

3. To rein in the costs and pay for health care everybody must contribute to a fund, based on their ability to pay

4. To change how we pay for health care requires a grass roots movement similar to how woman’s suffrage and civil rights were won; not something for the faint of heart!

We will use the Senate District 25 DFL web site to pass on information about happenings at the State and Federal levels regarding health care reform, with an occasional dose of our own thoughts and insights.

To get started: last week we attended two state house legislative health committee meetings. Both meetings focused on Medical Assistance (MA) and Minnesota Care (MN Care) which are public plans paid by the State. The administration of these plans is primarily contracted with insurance companies (HMO’s). It was interesting to observe a less contentious setting than last year’s session.

Before the first meeting there was a mini rally in support for better transparency between the public plans and the HMO’s. This was triggered by the statements made by David Feinwachs, former General Counsel of the MN Hospital Association. David dared to point out that the $3 billion given to the HMO’s remains unaudited.

The Health and Human Services Finance committee meeting had a full room of observers which surprised the chairperson. Presentations were made by the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA), MN Department of Human Services, David Feinwachs, and a representative from the Minnesota Council of Health Plans (Blue Cross, Ucare, etc.). The committee was striving to understand the costs of the public plans to the state. It was interesting how the legislators looked to David Feinwachs several times to help interpret things being said by the other presenters. Our overall impression was the legislators were not fully accepting what the HMO’s were presenting.

The Health and Human Services Reform committee meeting followed. This meeting focused on an overview of the public plans, implementation of the Expanded Medical Assistance program, and future changes that lie ahead with the Federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Expanded MA program is a result from provisions in the Federal ACA. At this point the plan is to enroll the approximately 95,000 people in the Expanded MA program through the State Dept. of Human Services (DHS). Then DHS would assign each of these people to an HMO. Thus, the insurance companies would end up with all 95,000 people. Because of expressed concerns and protests that question transparency and cost, it is hoped the DHS will reconsider this approach.

We realize from listening to these committees how complicated the rules are and procedures that exist with our public state health care plans.

Finally, there is a wonderful opportunity next Wednesday to learn more about health care reform. T.R. Reid, noted journalist, who produced the PBS Frontline documentary “Sick Around the World” and written the recent book “The Healing of America” is coming to Minnesota. See the below flyer for specifics on the event. Help spread the word about the event!

(c)2011 Senate District 25 DFL / Steve & Joan Janusz. All rights reserved.

Note:  Opinions expressed in this article are that of the authors and do not neccessarly reflect the views of the Senate District 25 DFL or DFL in general.