Rep. Peterson says health bill's coverage of some areas lacking

Minnesota 7th District Congressman Collin Peterson's office says he voted against the health care bill in part because it would only cover about half the uninsured people in his district compared to the nationwide average.

The Democrat from Detroit Lakes says it's unfair to give other areas of the country more aid because they don't have state programs to help cover their uninsured.

"We have a 11 percent uninsured, but this bill will only pick up 37 percent of those uninsured," Peterson said. "But there's other districts where, the average around the country they're picking up with this bill is 70 percent."

University of Minnesota health care management and policy professor Lynn Blewett said it is true that areas of the country with more uninsured will get proportionately higher benefits. But she said that's not the whole story and that it's important to look at the total number of people in the 7th District who have insurance.

"It looks like it's 37 percent of the uninsured in his district would receive coverage but overall his entire district, they have 94 percent coverage rates with this new bill," Blewett said. "So I think the numbers are just a little bit off."

Peterson was the only Minnesota House Democrat to vote against the health care bill.