Lawmaker’s absence foils chance for upset DFL victory in health coverage debate
During debate over a measure to try to stabilize the individual health insurance market,
Jensen's deviation from party lines meant the minority
As it turned out, DFL Sen.
"When I heard a few minutes ago ... about that vote on the floor, I thought, 'Oh, gosh,'" Rest said Wednesday night. "I just can't split myself in two."
The buy-in amendment lost 33-33, one vote short of a majority.
Rest said she feels like she's doing good and important work on her trip to D.C., but felt bad about missing the vote.
"You can't predict where your voice might be the one that makes a difference," Rest said. "Nobody thought that there was going to be a Republican that would support the (buy-in).
Rest said she would have voted for the MinnesotaCare buy-in, and against the broader "reinsurance" package. Her vote wouldn't have made a difference on the full bill, which passed 37-29.
RELATED: Reinsurance money would lower rates, not be a 'bail-out,' health insurers say
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Even if the
In addition to the buy-in, the biggest remaining source of disagreement is how to pay for reinsurance, which uses taxpayer dollars to pay for the sickest Minnesotans' care so insurance companies don't need to recoup that cost through everyone else's premiums. (The state's individual health insurance market, which covers less than 5 percent of Minnesotans, has a disproportionate number of sick people versus healthy people.)
The Republican proposals take
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HOW THE SENATE VOTED ON THE MINNESOTACARE BUY-IN:
HOW THE SENATE VOTED ON THE FINAL REINSURANCE BILL:
This story has been updated to specify the 33-33 vote on the DFL amendment.
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