Senate Republicans say health care costs will go down under their plan to allow patients to get care from their primary doctor for a low monthly fee, without going through insurance company “middlemen.” Big Lake Senator Mary Kiffmeyer says, “Sometimes a physician will bill a certain amount of money, but by the time it goes through the insurance company, they end up with a very small portion of that. What we want to do is cut that all out and enable all those dollars to go directly to the actual physician and the actual patient.” Republicans say specialist care and non-routine treatment would still be covered by the patient’s insurance.
Senate Republicans say Minnesotans should also have the right to shop for the most cost-effective health care, even if the doctor or clinic is out-of-network. And they’re proposing legislation they say would eliminate any doubt that Minnesotans with pre-existing conditions are protected from losing health coverage.