Minnesota Senate Republicans say health care is among their top five issues for the 2019 legislative session which begins today — but they oppose extending the provider tax which is scheduled to sunset at the end of the year. Rochester Senator Carla Nelson says, “It does just increase the cost of health care by two percent and we worked very hard to reduce that.”
Governor Tim Walz says people regardless of income should be allowed to buy health insurance through state-run MinnesotaCare. Senate Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka warns doing that “basically is government-run health care. In the end, that is a solution that will bring us to disaster.” Gazelka warns MinnesotaCare’s lower reimbursement rates will force rural hospitals out of business.