Materials

Health Care and Justice in Minnesota

JRLC recently published a new issue paper on Health Care, Health Care and Justice in Minnesota.

The issue paper was approved by all four of JRLC's Sponsors and argues for a common, universal coverage system. The paper's case rests on three key principles:

• Human Dignity
• Stewardship of Resources
• Call to Community

Five community values and obligations are asked of Minnesotans and our policymaking:

• Affirm every person’s moral and civil right to health care.
• Eliminate health disparities among ethnic minorities.
• Include mental health and dental health coverage.
• Protect the provider-patient relationship as the locus of medical decisions.
• Safeguard freedom-of-conscience protections in the delivery of care.

JRLC makes these recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature:

1. Move swiftly toward a common, universal coverage system in Minnesota by:

• Expanding Minnesota’s public health insurance programs through expanded eligibility, comprehensive integrated outreach, and elimination of administrative barriers;
• Mandating comprehensive health care insurance contemporaneously with guaranteed-issue insurance reforms, community rating, and adequate subsidies for individuals who must buy insurance;
• Adopting the efficiencies of risk-pooling and publicly-sponsored financing. Children, mental health clients, and disabled persons should be first among possible population cohorts to enroll in publicly-sponsored health insurance programs.

2. Expand mental health services and coverage so mental health coverage achieves parity with traditional medical services.

3. Adopt stronger public health education and health promotion strategies. Focus on populations with the poorest health outcomes.

4. Design Minnesota’s innovations in a way that promotes progress toward a common, universal coverage system at the national level.