‘Blindsided’ by Washington, state officials scramble to save MinnesotaCare
The decision came -- unexpectedly -- two weeks ago, when federal health regulators approved a separate
"The administration has been promising all throughout 2017 that they want to give states flexibility to innovate and control their own destiny," said
The decision has also sowed uncertainty for governors around the country who have similar requests pending in
"It is a tough deal for a state to put the resources together for a proposal like this, get it filed and then have it changed at the last minute," said
And for the consumers who rely on MinnesotaCare, it means another stressful time.
"I feel like politicians have been playing kickball with my life," said
Now, top officials of the Dayton administration say they are trying to get some clarity from
"We are trying to identify the whole scope of options that we have to solve this issue," Piper said in an interview Thursday. "Because we were completely blindsided by this 180 reversal by the federal government."
The Trump administration's decision will not eliminate MinnesotaCare funding entirely, and the best estimates indicate that the program will have enough money for 2018, Piper said.
But over the next two years,
Officials at the
But the law gives federal officials wide discretion to interpret regulations and approve or reject state requests for "waivers" to operate innovative health and welfare programs such as MinnesotaCare.
Three jobs, no benefits
MinnesotaCare serves many entrepreneurs, farmers, part-time employees and other low-income workers who cannot afford premiums, deductibles and co-payments in the private insurance market, even if they were subsidized.
As a musician, Sorum, 35, works three jobs and likes them all -- but none provides benefits. She pays about
"It is the best policy I've ever had," said Sorum. "I haven't had any trouble finding care, and all of the providers that I have needed to see have accepted it."
Sen.
"I really do feel a fundamental change in the 50-plus-year-old state-federal partnership in funding health and human services," Lourey said. "It feels like the intent is to have a chilling effect on states' innovation and what they do to serve their populations."
But federal money often comes with strings that can feel like rope, said Sen.
"This was definitely a surprise, since we had gotten assurance from the regulatory authority," she said. "In order to help the
"The fact that they are still looking at it is hopeful," Benson added. "We are going to keep nudging until the decision is made."
"When he didn't have any insurance, that was walking a thin line," she said.
But as health insurance has become a hot-button issue once again, Hodgson said she fears that politicians will be making drastic changes to the health care system over the next 10 years.
"I worry that one year we won't have affordable insurance and maybe the next year we will," she said.
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