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Location: Blogs Dan's Blog |
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| Posted by: Dan McGrath |
4/18/2008 |
A health care 'reform' bill will be landing on Governor Pawlenty's desk within the next several days that would dramatically expand the government's role in Minnesota's health care system. The bill creates new layers of government bureaucracy, adds thousands of people to taxpayer-subsidized health plans, grants government access to our private medical records, co-opts schools into monitoring the weight of our children and allows Katrina-style bureaucrats to decide which treatment options will be available to you and your family.
The bill that ultimately emerges from conference committee will be an amalgam of House File 3391 and Senate File 3099 each of which were passed within their respective bodies.
The costs of complying with the new regulations imposed by this bill will especially threaten rural hospitals and clinics. Medical facilities in greater Minnesota may be forced to cut back services or close down entirely.
Governor Pawlenty has been eager to improve access and affordability of health care in Minnesota. He has tried to work with the legislature to craft a bill that respects market demands and protects patient rights. But the bill that has emerged from the legislative process fails to deliver on these objectives.
During the course of a marathon 10-hour floor session in the DFL-controlled House, Republican legislators introduced numerous amendments to incorporate increased competition and fiscal responsibility into the legislation. But none of these ideas were adopted into the bill that emerged (see video at right).
A legislature determined to give government more control over health care has created a monstrous bill that greatly expands the state’s role in health care and creates new, powerful government agencies to dictate the kinds of insurance and even the types of treatments that will be available to patients. This bill will set the stage for the implementation of socialized medicine in Minnesota.
Physcians are concerned about adding another party (the government) between between the doctor-patient relationship. Government mandates could influence the level of care offered to patients. They recognize that rationing could likely result from these policies. Other countries with similar health care systems use rationing to control medical costs.
Real health care reform will only happen by getting government out of the health care business and putting the patient back in charge of making their own health care decisions. True health care reform measures must incorporate free market principles that will allow competition to drive down costs and improve quality. Today, Minnesota is on the cusp of taking our health care policy in exactly the opposite direction.
Only Governor Pawlenty now stands between this bill and your family's health care.
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Comments (21)
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By TJ in Burnsville on
4/16/2008 |
We're leaving the state. We're taking our middle class typical hard working selves and moving to another state. Ya'll have fun with your socialism!
TEEEEEJ |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Drew Emmer on
4/16/2008 |
Thanks for putting a public profile on the conservative side of this important issue. The local news cartel is certainly not interested in the people hearing the whole story.
Governor Pawlenty must step in and put an end to this nonsense! |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/16/2008 |
TJ,
Don't flee just yet. Wait and see what the governor does and get involved. We can still turn this ship around! |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Rod Lamb on
4/16/2008 |
Please veto this bill. Government is not the one I wish to have take care of me, how frightful that would be!
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Lynn on
4/16/2008 |
Our veterans aren't even well taken care of, how can we possibly trust them with anybody else's lives?
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Mike on
4/16/2008 |
| Just change our state to MinnUSSR |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Barb on
4/16/2008 |
| Today's government is without reasoning. 100% credit of ignorance to the facts. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Charles Hood on
4/16/2008 |
Governor Pawlenty, Please Veto the Healthcare reform bill. We pay alot for healthcare and take the responsibility for ourselves and have always for our family, but we have the insurance when we need it - and have the finest doctors. We do not want the government deciding when we can go and how much care we can have. We do not want to pay for anyone elses. Each one should work and pay their own. We were just in Costa Rica and over there the government says those who do not work do not eat --- they do NOT have welfare- if people have children they are responsible for the doctor bills. Not the government. We personally know of the people who abuse Minnesota Care and welfare and WIC, and ADC- we do not want lesser healthcare - so others who do not work - leach off the state and get the same care we would. We know people in Canada: socialized medecine is NOT the answer- it is awful. Money is taken out of their pay for it and if extra things are needed they have to pay for them. It is NOT unlimited - they hate it and come to the US for surgeries. If they have heart problems or cancer they have to get on a waiting list and some die waiting, while illegals or deadbeats get the same healthcare that we do. They keep getting pregnant to get more welfare.
PLEASE Veto this. Life as we know it today would never be the same. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Ron Westrup on
4/16/2008 |
| I believe the Peoples' Republic of Minnesota is being influenced by outsiders coming into our state.This so called health care bill is proof of the lunacy touted by those who know "Minnesota Nice" is an easy mark. Those of us who have grown up here and lived here for decades could not possibly condone the plague of liberalism and socialism we are now experiencing. Minnesota voters need to wake up and pay attention so that we can again live in the "state" of Minnesota, U S A. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Joe Belchak on
4/17/2008 |
Gov. pawlenty, please veto this attempt by "the government" to grow exponentially and decrease our freedom of choice and our bank accounts.
Also please take a look at http://www.globalclimatescam.com CO2 is not a polutant. Cap and trade will be disasterous for our pocketbooks and do nothing for the environment except make it harder to live like free people. Just another step towards bringing down our standard of living to that of nations who are not our equal, instead of lifting up those nations to our standard of living.
WAKE UP. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Ken Richard on
4/17/2008 |
| As a small lbusiness owner who has worked as a volunteer on health care issues for nearly 20 years I can say with authority that the legislation proposed is not the answer and even is a large step backwards to meet the needs of Minnesotans sensibly. Since small business IS THE BIGGEST BUSINESS, I can tell you we do not want to be in the health insurance providing business, though most of us want to help our employees pay for coverage they buy through private competing carriers customized to personal situations. We also want to eliminate the three inefficient government welfare/subsidized programs. MNCare, Mhca, and Medical assistance and have one administered with those in need subsidized based on income. All could be offered on a guranteed issue basis. I have spoken with English and Canadian folks who say they do not like their rationed plans that are directed by the government,where the cost could be ones life more often than with todays so called uninsureds, many who are uninsured as a buying decision and also the fact MN only allows the purchase of Cadillac plans given the more than 60 mandates and requirement HMOs be all non profits. Let's think of the 93% of insureds whose health benefits will decline under a more big government plan. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Deborah Moran on
4/17/2008 |
| I am shocked and saddened. I asked the Governor to please veto this bill. I also informed the Governor, that if this bill is enacted, a large billboard should be erected saying, "Last one out of the State, please turn out the lights." |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By DAVID M DAYTON on
4/17/2008 |
| I'm with TJ. My wife and I are making plans to move if this socialism doesn't stop. We are hoping the Governer will veto this and stand up for liberty. We are not going to stay and be cooked like a frog in a pot with the heat turned up so gradually that it doesn't try to escape, or die the death of a thousand tiny cuts. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Rebecca on
4/17/2008 |
| When I watch and read stuff like this I get very depressed. The video is inaccurate and misleading. And each of those legislators knows that. But they'd rather have you scared, then engage in an honest debate. I challenge all of you to go and actually read through the bill. This isn't a move toward socialism at all. It is one first step that may be the only thing that stops our entire healthcare system from collapsing under it's own weight. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/17/2008 |
| I very much encourage everyone to read these bills. That's why we have been posting links to the bills at the legislative website, so our readers can research these bills and make up their own minds about what this legislation will mean for them and their familes. Here it is again: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H3391.5.html&session=ls85 Anyone who believes this legislation isn't a move toward socialized medicine either hasn't read the bill herself, or doesn't understand what socialism is. The thing that poses a threat toward collapsing health care in Minnesota is the huge burden of government bearing down on it. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Barb on
4/23/2008 |
| When it comes to personal/parental responsibility regarding health care, the only role government should take part in is to ensure health insurance companies and pharmaceuticals are not corrupting the cost to the people. BUT CORRUPTION is what the government has become. HEALTH is a PRIVATE and RESPONSIBLE matter. What the video shows is 100% accurate based on the corrupt actions of all levels of government... those paying for their private insurance have already become victims of government corruption...recent PERSONAL accounts based on this where responsible people paying are treated by Health care givers who simply have... no GENUINE DIGNIFIED WILL of compassion, regard, consideration, accountability as they will be payed regardless of how they care or neglect the care for you. Health care positions today are required to take ETHICS courses which means they do not have GENUINE WILL to take care of you... money cannot buy GENUINE, TRUE WILL. That comes from the heart. The government has already infiltrated itself. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Barbara on
4/23/2008 |
| Please veto this bill. Our Health Care system is in a mess, but this is surely not the answer. |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Swit on
4/23/2008 |
| Something that has not been touched on much with this bill is the provision of government invading our privacy by storing and saving the blood samples of newborns without parental consent. To be used in the future for what? Some of these samples have already had genetic testing on them. And what about schools weighing our children in the name of the State mandate? Maybe the state should concern themselves with increasing physical activity at school instead of finding ways to tell parents how they should take care of and feed their kids or else....what? People, what happened to personal responsibility? The markets need to be opened up for competition and drop some of the mandates. Competition helps bring costs down, hence the Walmart way of doing business. Like it or not, we ALL participate in this one way or another and to varying degrees. Minnesota Care requires a payment of varying levels, depending on income. It should not be assumed everyone on Minnesota Care is out to screw the system and that we are a bunch of fat-a**s pumping out kids just to get coverage. HELLLLOO!! Believe it or not many of us are working families who cannot get medical through our employer. Guess what, some of them are single income families where one parent stays home to take care of the children while the other goes to work. There may be no family coverage provided by that employer. Many agree the best provider of care is the parent of that child. Let's not forget the costs of going back to work when critisizing these families. I will admit MNCare is poorly run with great waste. Is anyone aware of a MNcare processing office in Brainard? Why? Some counties are doing the processing already. I agree with Ken, above, that these 3 agencies could be combined. There is too much overlap. Either way something needs to be fixed, or not fixed, depending on how you look at it. I already pay enough in taxes, this camel is DRY!, I do NOT want to pay for this monster! |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Nancy on
4/23/2008 |
| Hey, the big deal to me about reforming the health care system in this country, is my ability to GET health care. I have Multiple Sclerosis and I currently have health care through my husbands employer, but if he were to lose his job, I would LOSE my health care, and would be unable to get private insurance, because there is not a private health care company in this country that would cover me because of my illness! I am for any socialized medicine that would not make me lose my insurance because of a job loss! |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By dan.mcgrath on
4/23/2008 |
| The point about job and insurance loss is an important one. It's the government that put us in the position of depending on our employers for insurance in the first place. It was the result of wage controls initially, and exascerbated by the tax code that allows employer provided group plans to buy insurance with tax-free dollars. Self employed persons also enjoy this benefit, but if you are employed, or unemployed and buying private insurnace, or making COBRA payments to continue coverage between jobs, no tax break and insurance tends to cost considerably more. We need to decouple health insurance from employment. You don't buy auto insurance through work, why then do we buy medical insurance this way? |
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Re: Dangerous Health Care Bill Approaching Governor's Desk |
By Merle Miller on
4/27/2008 |
| Gov. Pawlenty: Please veto this dangerous health care bill. There are numerous ways those without insurance for a very good reason can be taken care of now. We do not need government control of our health care. MM |
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