MN state senator says, If vouchers are better than MinnesotaCare, let's try it ourselves first!

Brickbat

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Wed May-11-11 09:25 AM
Original message

MN state senator says, If vouchers are better than MinnesotaCare, let's try it ourselves first!

Edited on Wed May-11-11 09:37 AM by Brickbat

MinnesotaCare is the state's publicly subsidized health care plan for the working poor.

Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, introduced one of the GOP's plans for cutting Human Services costs by taking about 15,000 single adults out of MinnesotaCare and giving them vouchers so they can buy their own health insurance.

Hann sang the praises of the bill: It will save the state money. It will give the poor more choices. It will improve the health care of the poor. It will get government out of health care. It's the American way!

Then, Sen. Barb Goodwin, DFL-Columbia Heights, rose to speak. She offered a simple amendment to this GOP plan. She said her amendment would require legislators to test the plan for two years, before the poor were forced into it.

(cut)

For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop in the Senate chambers. What? Us on this plan?

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/05/11/28200/surprise_amendment_stuns_senate_during_debate_over_health_care_for_poor

ETA: The bill passed, without the amendment. The governor is sure to veto it.

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Pigheaded

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Wed May-11-11 09:31 AM
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1. /\ /\ /\ That is awesome.

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Hannah Bell

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Wed May-11-11 09:33 AM
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2. kr. i wish

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dragonlady

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Wed May-11-11 09:42 AM
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3. How much were they planning on for the voucher?

It would be interesting to see what amount they would set for the voucher, and then compare that with rates for individual policies offered by real health insurance companies. My guess: the poor would end up with a $10,000 deductible. Good luck with that.

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iwishiwas

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Wed May-11-11 10:46 AM
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10. I do not see the amount in the article but Dems implied it

would NOT be enough.

Other DFLers got up to denounce the plan during Tuesday's debate.

Sen. Linda Higgins, for example, said, "Do people know what 133 percent of poverty really is? That's $14,484 for a single adult."

High costs of purchasing even the worst of insurance programs would "not be workable," she said. Those private insurance programs would have $3,000 deductibles, high co-pays and other costs that would make them unaffordable for the poor.

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Brickbat

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Wed May-11-11 10:09 AM
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4. Kick.

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SoCalDem

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Wed May-11-11 10:13 AM
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5. Yay..more "choices" for the poor

pneumonia?
flu?
gangrene?
stroke?
heart attack?

so many "choices"...so little time

We all know that what poor people want more than anything is "choices".. more than money..more than security..more than food..more than shelter..

choices..that's what they need:(

It's all just a clever way to get these people off the backs of the legislators once & for all.. "Here's your coupon lady..now go away and don't come back"..

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iwishiwas

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Wed May-11-11 10:44 AM
Response to Reply #5

8. The mantra of "choice" is the neoliberal mantra-unfortuately both

Repugs and Dems use it to try to win over their proposals-for health, education, etc. etc.

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jwirr

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Wed May-11-11 10:22 AM
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6. Many of the "poor" have some form of illness and I doubt that the

insurance companies would take them. I am surprised that the insurance companies would even go for this kind of plan since it looses them customers.

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iwishiwas

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Wed May-11-11 10:42 AM
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7. "The Chamber of Commerce supports this [voucher] bill,'' he (REPUG)said, excitedly.

What a hoot.

.....Other DFLers got up to denounce the plan during Tuesday's debate.

Sen. Linda Higgins, for example, said, "Do people know what 133 percent of poverty really is? That's $14,484 for a single adult."

High costs of purchasing even the worst of insurance programs would "not be workable," she said. Those private insurance programs would have $3,000 deductibles, high co-pays and other costs that would make them unaffordable for the poor.

Republicans countered by saying that the current Human Services budget is "unsustainable" and that "the free market" would do a better job than the government in caring for the poor.

Hann even held up a letter. "The Chamber of Commerce supports this bill,'' he said, excitedly.

Citing the Chamber seldom wins over DFLers.

But citing the needs of the poor hardly wins over Republicans.

So the debate played out with nobody listening to anybody until Goodwin came up with her amendment.

"Put the legislators on this plan for the first two years," she said.....................

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myrna minx

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Wed May-11-11 10:45 AM
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9. K&R n/t

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Old and In the Way

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Wed May-11-11 11:59 AM
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11. If it's such a great plan, the government should include themselves.

I think that should be SOP for any healthcare plan that our government votes on. They should be covered under the same plan.

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Brickbat

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Wed May-11-11 03:04 PM
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12. One last kick.

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