Briefing

Background
Minnesota’s health care system is failing. 374,000 Minnesotans have no health insurance, more than double the populations of the cities of Rochester and Duluth combined. Nearly 77,000 children in Minnesota are living without health insurance – and nine out of ten of those children have parents who work. Nearly one million Minnesotans spend more than 10 percent of their incomes on health care, and a staggering 240,000 spend more than 25 percent of their incomes on health care. And costs continue to rise at unsustainable rates.

To make matters worse, the Governor’s budget proposes to cut about 113,000 more Minnesotans from health care coverage, including 30,000 children.

JRLC’s interfaith perspective on health care principles and the role of state government is especially important at this time.  We insist that health care is a right and that any health care changes must move us toward universal coverage. The human dignity of every person demands no less.
When thousands are uninsured or underinsured, when people suffer the consequences of delayed or inadequate care, we all fail in our duty to safeguard the human dignity of our neighbors and we jeopardize the health of everyone in the community. The dignity of human beings and our mutual obligation to one another require community structures that ensure that health care be available and accessible to everyone.

There is a very practical reason for supporting universal health care. Public health research tells us that overall health in a society improves when health disparities are narrowed. In short, having healthy neighbors improves everyone’s health status. And we all benefit from system-wide efficiencies.

Governor Pawlenty’s budget proposes to eliminate public health insurance (MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, and General Assistance Medical Care) for about 113,000 Minnesotans, including about 30,000 children. The Governor also eliminates adult dental coverage and reduces services for people with disabilities and proposes deep cuts in the rates paid for providers of services.

2009 Legislative Issues
Will the Legislature protect health insurance programs and needed services for people with disabilities? Will we make needed reforms to better position Minnesota for universal coverage?

JRLC Position
We seek universal coverage and guaranteed access to comprehensive and quality health care. The state has a primary role to make sure that health care is available to the poor and vulnerable. Denying insurance coverage to 113,000 Minnesotans is inhumane, costly, and moves us further from the reforms we need.

Bottom-line
• Don't balance the budget by cutting people off health care programs.
• Support the Minnesota Health Security Act, HF 174 (Thissen) and SF 9 (Lourey), system-wide reform efforts that move us toward universal coverage beginning with insurance coverage for all children.