2018 MN Governor's race: on Health Care

Jeff Johnson: ObamaCare was sold as reform & there was no reform in it

Jeff Johnson (R): Repeal. Says the ACA "was sold as reform & there was no reform in it." Wants to move toward "a more free-market system."

Tim Walz (D): Support. Opposes attempts to roll back ACA. Believes single payer type system "is on Minnesota's horizon." Also supports allowing people to buy into programs like VA system, Medicaid & Medicare.

Tim Walz: Single-payer system is on Minnesota's horizon

Jeff Johnson (R): Repeal; move toward "a more free-market system."

Tim Walz (D): Support. Opposes attempts to roll back ACA. Believes single payer type system "is on Minnesota's horizon," but need to control immediate costs, improve care, and support MinnesotaCare as best current option. Also supports allowing people to buy into programs like VA system, Medicaid & Medicare.

Jeff Johnson: For multi state buying, selling insurance across state lines

Lori Swanson: Plans to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all

Matt Dean: Repeal MNSure; it has harmed thousands

Petition to Repeal MNSure and Restore Affordable Healthcare to All Minnesotans:
• Whereas MNsure has harmed thousands of Minnesota families by kicking them off of the healthcare insurance which they qualified for and were properly enrolled in, and harmed others by enrolling them in Medicaid without warning them that the government would be placing liens against their estate;
• Whereas MNSure has cost taxpayers over $250 million to build and still does not work nearly half of the time, and has stressed out, and harassed thousands more with erroneous and unnecessary letters , and
• Whereas other hardworking Minnesota families are struggling to get and pay for health insurance made all the more expensive by the expansion of MNSure,
• I, the undersigned do call upon the Governor of Minnesota to seek approval from all necessary state and federal agencies to repeal MNSure.

Tina Liebling: ObamaCare was a valiant attempt but did not go far enough

The Affordable Care Act was a valiant attempt to improve a failing insurance system. While it has done a lot of good, it did not go far enough. A system based on insurance will always be costly, complicated, and wasteful for patients, doctors, and employers. "Preserving the market" for insurance is the wrong goal. Our goal must be making sure that every Minnesotan can access quality health care at a price they can afford.

We waste billions of dollars deciding who gets care, how much, and at what price--instead of paying for the care we need. Minnesota can lead the nation in moving toward a system where people can choose who provides their health care but don't have to deal with insurance companies. Some call this "single payer." Whatever we call it, we need to remove the barriers between Minnesotans and health care.

Erin Murphy: Allow only non-profit insurers to do business in the state

Rep. Erin Murphy spoke in favor of sending the bill back to conference committee to strip out the for-profit provisions. She said legislators were unprepared to vote on changing the state's 40-year policy of allowing only non-profit insurers to do business in the state. No health plans or academic health experts testified in either the regular or conference committee to explain the changes to lawmakers, she said. "We really don't really know what this means," she said

Mark Dayton: Allow only non-profit insurers to do business in the state

Rep. Erin Murphy spoke in favor of sending the bill back to conference committee to strip out the for-profit provisions. She said legislators were unprepared to vote on changing the state's 40-year policy of allowing only non-profit insurers to do business in the state. "We really don't really know what this means," she said.

Dayton echoed that point in his written statement. "I ask the Legislature to seriously re-evaluate this provision when future health care legislation is considered," the governor said.