HF 784

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to health; providing for a universal health
care system that provides affordable access to high
quality medical care for all Minnesotans; requiring a
focus on preventive care and early intervention;
providing comprehensive benefits; reducing costs
through prevention, efficiency, and elimination of
bureaucracy; directing the commissioner of health to
prepare a plan to be implemented by 2010; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.
new text end

new text begin (a) All people deserve quality health care, yet an
increasing number of Minnesota families are unable to pay for
coverage.
new text end

new text begin (b) Many seniors find that Medicare, which promised health
care in their retirement, does not provide needed coverage
without costly Medicare supplemental policies and, even then,
find they cannot get coverage for needed prescriptions.
new text end

new text begin (c) Many workers do not earn enough to pay for health
care. As a result, they do not receive preventive care and put
off necessary treatment for themselves and their families until
the medical condition becomes acute, requiring more costly
treatment.
new text end

new text begin (d) Many people are forced, against their wishes, to switch
from their personal doctors, clinics, and hospitals, not based
on medical need, but because they switched jobs or their
employer switched health plans. This replaces doctors who have
their trust with new providers who do not know their medical
history. Loss of continuity of care can put health at risk and
wastes the time and resources of both doctor and patient.
new text end

new text begin (e) The lack of universal care has particularly serious
consequences for the uninsured, but it also creates extra
hardship and risks for many with health care coverage and more
expenses for the public.
new text end

new text begin (f) The lack of affordable care creates a huge burden on
the Minnesota economy through lost worker productivity, higher
special education costs, the spread of preventable infectious
diseases, and skyrocketing long-term care expenses that could
have been prevented with affordable in-home care alternatives.
Furthermore, taxpayer-funded expenses for education, housing,
health care, and crime prevention, including law enforcement,
prosecution, and corrections, are higher due to untreated
chemical dependency and mental illness.
new text end

new text begin (g) Insured patients and taxpayers end up paying costs to
cover the underinsured and uninsured through cost-shifting when
hospitals provide expensive emergency care for illnesses and
diseases that could have been prevented with routine preventive
care.
new text end

new text begin (h) Bureaucratic paperwork for medical providers, insurers,
patients, and government agencies, which is used to determine
eligibility and financial responsibility, currently consumes
more than one-fourth of all health care dollars in Minnesota.
In addition, cost-shifting between third-party payers results in
expensive gatekeepers aimed at reducing financial responsibility
and in higher billing costs. A simple universal health care
system would greatly reduce these expenses that do nothing to
promote health.
new text end

new text begin (i) Providing a universal health care system would improve
the quality of life for all Minnesotans and would actually
reduce overall costs to the public through prevention and
efficiency.
new text end

new text begin (j) A well-designed universal health care system would
continue to promote Minnesota's leadership in medical education,
training, research, and technology and would free medical
providers to focus on providing quality care without needing to
worry whether the treatment or referrals they provide will be
approved by the insurer and without wasting unnecessary
resources on billing.
new text end

new text begin (k) A well-designed universal health care system would free
small employers from wasting resources shopping for an
affordable plan for their workers and would free employees to
seek employment that best uses their talents instead of seeking
jobs based on the employer's health benefits.
new text end

new text begin (l) A well-designed universal health care system would mean
that patients would be able to get needed treatment promptly,
instead of going through numerous additional doctor visits that
are designed to deny care instead of provide it.
new text end

new text begin (m) It is in the public interest to establish a universal
health care system for medical and economic reasons. Because
the federal government has not provided universal health care,
Minnesota will not obtain such coverage unless the state
develops a system on its own.
new text end

new text begin (n) In order to develop a system that serves Minnesotans
best, the system must ensure that all Minnesotans receive
comprehensive health care of the highest quality available,
regardless of their income; allow patients the ability to choose
their own providers; provide an adequate number of qualified
health care professionals and facilities to guarantee timely
access to quality care; continue promoting Minnesota's
leadership in medical education, training, research, and
technology; focus on preventive care and early intervention;
provide comprehensive benefits, including complete mental health
services, chemical dependency treatment, prescription drugs,
medical equipment, dental care, long-term care, and home care
services; be funded through premiums and other payments based on
the citizen's ability to pay, so as not to deny full access to
all Minnesotans; and hold down costs, not by restricting or
denying coverage or reducing the quality of care, but through
prevention, efficiency, and elimination of bureaucracy.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [144.7055] UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end [COMMISSIONER'S WORKING GROUP.] new text begin (a) The
commissioner of health shall establish a working group to design
a universal health care system for Minnesota. The commissioner
shall prepare proposed legislation for submission to the
legislature by January 31, 2008, to establish a universal health
care system for Minnesota to take effect in January 2010. The
proposed legislation must meet all of the requirements specified
in subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin (b) The working group shall include medical providers,
patients, and representatives of employers and employees in
preparing the proposed universal health care system.
new text end

new text begin (c) The working group is governed by section 15.059,
subdivision 6, and expires January 31, 2008.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Requirements for universal health care system.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner's proposal to the legislature under subdivision
1 shall be designed in a manner that:
new text end

new text begin (1) ensures all Minnesotans receive comprehensive health
care of the highest quality available, regardless of their
income;
new text end

new text begin (2) allows patients the ability to choose their own
providers;
new text end

new text begin (3) focuses on preventive care and early intervention to
improve the health of all Minnesotans and to reduce later costs
from untreated illnesses and diseases;
new text end

new text begin (4) provides comprehensive benefits, including all coverage
currently required by law, complete mental health services,
chemical dependency treatment, prescription drugs, medical
equipment, dental care, long-term care, and home care services;
new text end

new text begin (5) continues promoting Minnesota's leadership in medical
education, training, research, and technology;
new text end

new text begin (6) ensures an adequate number of qualified health care
professionals and facilities to guarantee timely access to
quality care;
new text end

new text begin (7) does not restrict or deny care or reduce the quality of
care to hold down costs, but instead reduces costs through
prevention, efficiency, and elimination of bureaucracy;
new text end

new text begin (8) provides adequate and timely payments to providers; and
new text end

new text begin (9) is funded through premiums and other payments based on
the citizen's ability to pay, so as not to deny quality health
care to all Minnesotans.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Section 2 is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end