The Minnesota Senate has voted to continue what’s called “reinsurance”, where the state picks up the cost of health insurance for the most seriously ill to keep everyone else’s premiums down. Rochester Republican Carla Nelson says, “It will stabilize the market. It does hold down premiums.”
But Mendota Heights Democrat Matt Klein objects, “We should not continue to write checks to the health plans, but should instead write checks to individual Minnesotans who are struggling with high premiums.”
Klein supports Governor Tim Walz’s plan for direct rebates and expanded tax credits for health care premiums. Republicans warn that would expand government-run health care and create more problems like with MNsure.