The Free Press
May 18, 2008 01:14 am
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Health care costs continue to consume family budgets already taxed by rising food and energy prices, but unfortunately the Minnesota Legislature and governor lost a real opportunity to do something about those costs.
While the Democrats in the Minnesota Senate and House passed important health care legislation this year, the bill that came out of a conference committee was justifiably vetoed by the governor because it contained few if any cost controls.
From the start, the bipartisan Senate bill contained important cost controls for providers and put forth an innovative market-based system that compelled health care providers to make public their prices and compete on those prices with others. It was an idea long past due, and one that made sense to a lot of educated observers of the complex health care system.
But unfortunately, through the give-and-take of the conference committee, those cost containment provisions were eliminated in the final bill. They were never in the House passed bill. It’s a bit unclear just why the House didn’t go along with cost controls, but apparently a sort of unholy coalition of Democrats favoring a single payer system and Republicans pressured by health care lobbyists derailed that cost control provision.
Cost control was in fact a recommendation by the Health Care Transformation Task Force that included members of both parties. In fact, the final bill only included a handful of the task forces’ numerous recommendations.
The governor also vetoed the final bill because it significantly increased the eligibility of MinnesotaCare where a family of four making $84,000 a year would qualify. The governor was on solid ground vetoing this large expansion at a time when the state faced a $1 billion deficit.
The reform provisions recommended by the task force and in the Senate bill seemed to be overshadowed with the idea of expanding care for those without insurance. But without cost control, expanded care will simply add to runaway costs of a system that is so broken it pays for every time you see a doctor, regardless of the kind of care you get.
Health care costs for families are rising in Minnesota at double digit rates. Health care provided by the state to the poor and those on Medicaid and medical assistance are consuming large portions of the state budget crowding out needed investments in everything from roads to education.
The Legislature and governor’s inability to reform this system and create savings and efficiencies is more troubling because the plan was so close to passing and had widespread support. Even an slight expansion of MinnesotaCare through a final budget deal will not be enough. That will not be reform. Legislators and the governor owe citizens the effort to take another crack at health care payment reform soon.
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