Rep. Paul Thissen spent time talking about health care reform in Fergus Falls this past week. Read more in the Fergus Falls Journal and watch an interview by Lauren Radomski, here.
Minnesota State Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL, from the Richfield/Minneapolis district is Chairman of the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Policy Committee and was in Crookston and the KROX RADIO studios to talk about health care reform. Thissen said, “We have a health care reform bill we passed last year, that we think will make a big difference particularly in greater Minnesota making big investments in primary care doctors. We have a new report out on solutions for rural health care which focuses on the needs of rural and greater Minnesota as they have unique needs.”
Thissen said they have been traveling the state for about a year and, ““There are four things that are unique, one is the need for more medical professionals, second, long term care is somewhat fragile, third, the infrastructure needs updating in the technology age and fourth we hear that health care is unaffordable. The last session we made an investment for more primary care doctors and increased nursing homes two percent and going forward we need to attract medical professors. It is not so much the doctor but the spouse so we must help make the spouse a place in the community.”
Listening sessions are being held across the state and the process will continue as Thissen said, “We want to get the voice from the ground who do the work and have come up with unique solutions.”
A website is open for the public at www.healthcareformn.org for more information to citizens.
Met with candidate Mark Altenburg and staff in Moorhead on August 20th
As part of a statewide effort to speak to Minnesotans about health care in their communities, I spent the week of August 18 touring northwest and west central Minnesota, talking to people about health care and discussing my recent report on Solutions for Rural Minnesota Health Care. I was joined by legislative candidates Mark Altenburg, Greg Stumbo and Meg Bye.
The lack of affordable health care continued to top the list of concerns at every stop. In Fergus Falls, a woman us about her daughter who is in her mid-50s with diabetes. Recently divorced, she has repeatedly been denied coverage. The options available to her are expensive and include high deductibles that she cannot afford. As a result, she goes without needed care and her condition has worsened.
That is an all-too-common story across Minnesota. It is the reason we need to take seriously the enactment of an affordability standard that limits individual and family health care costs.
Thanks to all who participated.
Read about this event in The WDAY Moorhead and in The Crookston Times.
Rep. Paul Thissen with Rep. Larry Hosch at the Wellstone Dinner in St. Cloud
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