House passes bill to expand health care programs

Clinic lobby
MPR Photo/Greta Cunningham

The Minnesota House passed a comprehensive health care reform bill late Thursday night that would change how medical providers are paid.

The bill would reward medical providers for keeping their patients out of the hospital and expand public health programs to tens of thousands of uninsured residents.

Rep. Tom Huntley (D-Duluth) said his bill will save money because it will expand primary and preventive care for people.

"If you look at chronic illnesses we spend about 75 percent of the health care dollar on people who already have a chronic illness and the way you can save money is to keep them relatively healthy and keep them from needing surgeries in the hospital. There are all kinds of studies that the care coordination saves money and improves health," said Huntley

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But critics say the bill is too large, and worry about its impact on rural health care providers.

They also say while the bill would increase subsidized health insurance for low and middle-income Minnesotans in the short term, the fund to pay for it will go bankrupt by 2012.

Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) said the health care fund tapped to pay for the increased coverage will not be sustainable in the long term.

"It will bankrupt the sick tax, health care access fund which we currently have our biggest balance in right now. This will bankrupt that fund by 2012 and will begin disenrolling right off of health care so we're basically giving them a three year policy which is very irresponsible," said Dean.

Negotiators will now have to resolve differences between the House bill and a more sweeping Senate health care bill.