Dayton, Jesson press for US health money

Gov. Mark Dayton and his Human Services commissioner will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to lobby for federal money for MinnesotaCare.

MinnesotaCare is a state-subsidized health plan that insures about 130,000 people under age 65.

Dayton and Commissioner Lucinda Jesson are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Washington with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The governor and Jesson will press Sebelius to let the state use federal health care law money to fund MinnesotaCare. The state program serves people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still have difficulty affording commercial insurance.

Under the federal health care law, states have the option of enacting a similar program known as a Basic Health Plan.

Dayton and Jesson will urge Sebelius to allow Minnesota to access the Basic Health Plan money to fund MinnesotaCare.