Health care is top issue in Minnesota governor’s race
"It's absolutely the No. 1 issue I hear about, far and away," said DFL candidate Rep.
"Health care costs, specifically, are if not the No. 1 issue, one of the dominant issues in the campaign," said
With nearly a year until the election, few candidates have issued detailed health care plans. But most are ready to offer strong opinions about slowing the rise of insurance premiums, expanding coverage in greater
On the campaign trail,
Across the political spectrum, candidates want to build on short-term fixes the Legislature passed earlier this year.
Between a premium subsidy and a "reinsurance" program that funnels money to insurance companies to help with major claims, lawmakers approved
Republican state Sen.
Now, Osmek wants to trim the number of people who get health coverage through Medicaid; eliminate MNsure and replace it with a high-risk insurance pool; and allow all insurance plans to shift to a "cafeteria-style" approach, in which some conditions wouldn't have to be covered. He said people should select health plans based on "risks you believe you have in your life."
He's championing a reboot of
"It was expensive, but Minnesotans were willing to pay that expense," Johnson said. "And it worked really well."
Downey and Rep.
"I think people are going to make better decisions on their own," Dean said.
Downey, a former chairman of the
Meanwhile, all six DFL candidates say cutting the state out of the picture won't solve persistent cost problems and won't ensure access to insurance and quality care for rural residents.
Every DFLer favors an eventual shift to a single-payer system, though some use other terms like "Medicare for all" or "universal" health care.
Rep.
"They realize the ACA made things a little better, but it's still an insurance-based system," Liebling said. "And people are ready to move beyond that."
Most DFL candidates say the first step should be a plan DFL Gov.
Republican majorities in the Legislature rejected that this year, but Thissen said he expects it could pick up traction in 2018. Lawmakers may be wary of doling out hundreds of millions more to insurance companies to extend the reinsurance program, he said.
Rep.
"I think there's a lot of evidence that the private market ... is first and foremost interested in their bottom line," Murphy said.
State Auditor
"We need to move on to something that's much better," Otto said.
"I hear a lot of support for a single-payer system of some sort and the reality is that it may be the long-term solution, but it's not something we can pivot to immediately," Coleman said.
Walz said he'd also focus more attention on preventive measures that could help drive down health care costs, like reducing obesity rates in young people.
"As governor, I'd be talking more holistically about this," Walz said.
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