Jasinski: Senate Republicans focus on lowering health care costs

Senate Republicans focus on lowering health care costs

By: Senator John Jasinski

I have been getting a lot of questions about health care lately. Mostly these questions are spurred by changes happening to the federal Supreme Court — a process that, as a state Senator, I will have no say in.

However, any health care decisions made at the federal level ultimately trickle down to us, so it’s understandable that people have questions.

First: I want to state in absolutely unequivocal terms: I have always supported, and I will always support, coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions. 

Minnesota has long been a leader on this issue — the Minnesota Legislature approved the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association (MCHA) back in 1976, which provided options for individuals who were turned down for health coverage due to pre-existing conditions. 

You read that right. Minnesota has covered pre-existing conditions since 1976. 

This policy has broad support from both parties at the capitol, so no matter what happens federally, pre-existing conditions will certainly be covered here. Senate Republicans even tried to codify it into state statute as recently as 2019, to ensure that there is no confusion.

As a matter of fact, health care has been a top priority for Republicans for years. It is probably the main issue, generally speaking, that led Minnesotans to trust us with the majority in the Senate back in 2016.

Remember the disaster caused by MNsure and Obamacare, with premiums for the individual health insurance market rising by as much as 60% annually? I sure do. Nearly every day I heard from someone who was struggling to make ends meet, who lost coverage, or who was forced to choose between paying their health insurance bill or their mortgage, groceries, or other necessities. Those stories were heartbreaking, and one of my main motivations for wanting to serve in the first place

Four years later, the reversal has been amazing:

  • Thanks to our nation-leading reinsurance program, Minnesotans now enjoy the lowest health insurance premiums in the country
  • We have passed brand news requirements to improve transparency in both prescription drug prices and hospital billing. 
  • We passed a landmark reform of something called “prior authorization,” which sounds boring but is incredibly important to reduce wait times for people seeking medical care. Count your blessings if you have never had to deal with it in your own life.
  • We passed new restrictions on the middlemen who are driving up prescription drug prices.
  • We have expanded telehealth, proposed to give customers more flexibility to find the most affordable care even if it is out of network, and worked on Direct Primary Care legislation that would improve scheduling speed, improve quality of time spent with your doctor, and deliver better results for low, flat rates.
  • We have invested new resources to help individuals struggling with mental illnesses.
  • We passed the historic Alec Smith emergency insulin bill to help diabetics who are in an emergency situation get their life-saving medication. This bill also has important resources to help people avoid ever reaching a crisis point

Yes, there is still more work to do. Health care costs — especially prescription drugs — are still too expensive for many families. I am proud of the progress we have made so far, but I will not stop working on this issue. Next session, among the proposals you’ll see will allow Minnesotans to get more much affordable Canadian prices for prescription drugs at their local pharmacy.

If there are any ideas you’d like to see us work on, I’d love to hear them. Please reach out to me at any time at sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn. It is a privilege to serve as your state Senator!

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