MinnesotaCare
Why is it that our elected officials can not pass health care reform making health insurance affordable for most or all Americans but individual states such as Minnesota have been doing it with no problem? Minnesota law passed MinnesotaCare at the end of 1992. Minnesota laws use common sense and cares about the citizens it governs. The program is meant for low income citizens and stemmed from a child health care plan. It is paid for in reasonable ways and it benefits the state, which is what the Minnesota law intended it to do. Minnesota has a history of good policy and minimal bi-partisanship. When it comes to Minnesotan’s needs and concerns, the elected officials have always risen to the occasion and fix their problems to the best of their ability.
• In 1988 Minnesota law passed the Children’s Health Plan. This plan provided good quality outpatient health insurance for kids ages 1 to 17. In 1992 MinnesotaCare was created and in 1993, members of the Children’s Health Plan became covered by MinnesotaCare.
• When MinnesotaCare was signed into Minnesota law, the elected officials of the state came up with a plan to pay for the program. MinnesotaCare is paid for by small tax on the providers of the health care, a small increased tax on tobacco and premiums which were paid for by participants of the program. In the mid-nineties the federal government began aiding the program through waivers.
It is shocking to learn about a health care program that is affordable, provides good quality care and actually works as a system. Minnesota law succeeded in a task that the federal government could not. Leaders of the republican party should take a closer look at the MinnesotaCare program. It is a program that is run by the Minnesota government and provides good quality health insurance at an affordable rate. So when republicans claim that President Obama’s proposed health care plan is some sort of socialistic take over of our health care system destined to ruin our country, they should look at what Minnesota law has done and how much it has helped the state of Minnesota. It keeps its citizens healthy and it does not bankrupt them. While they are at it, the republicans should take a closer look at Medicaid which they support.
Minnesota laws have a history of good policy with bi-partisan support. With the exception of a low minimum wage, Minnesota laws have been relevant to modern needs and concerns. There are many infrastructure projects well under way due to the federal government’s stimulus package and it is the hard working class of Minnesota that will put these projects into action. It was also Minnesota laws that helped finally decided the winner of the 2008 senate election.