Minn. Rep. Schultz Comments on GOP Proposed Medical Assistance Requirements

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, March 12 -- The Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor Caucus issued the following statement by state Rep. Jennifer Schultz (D-Duluth), member of the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee, after Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature introduced legislation adding work requirements for Medical Assistance (MA), Minnesota's version of Medicaid:

"After Minnesota expanded MA eligibility in 2014, the number of Minnesotans without health insurance dropped significantly. But since attacks on the core mission of the Affordable Care Act from President Trump and his allies started, we've seen this progress reversed. Today's unnecessarily cruel and misguided proposal from Republicans will only set us back further in our efforts to expand access to health care for the people who need it the most.

"What's more, most Minnesotans enrolled in MA are already working. If Republicans were genuinely interested in bringing people out of poverty, they'd expand affordable health care options, fix our child care crisis, make college and job training more affordable, and would support common-sense policies like paid family leave and earned sick time. Instead, this legislation goes directly against the original intent of Medicaid: to provide coverage for Americans who are low-income, have a disability or are otherwise vulnerable and could fall through the cracks. This bill won't lead to a single person getting better health care or finding economic security."