Even if you are not in the crosshairs of the healthcare crisis yourself, you have surely heard the stories. Premiums have doubled for some Minnesotans, and high deductibles have many of us deciding not to go to the doctor — if our doctors are even covered by narrow-network insurance plans.
Governor Mark Dayton has proposed making MinnesotaCare available to all as a public option. MinnesotaCare is a long-standing, affordable program that provides quality coverage. Creating a buy-in option will ensure that any Minnesotan who needs it can access a decent plan with a wide network of doctors.
Right now, state legislators must decide between two paths when it comes to the future of healthcare. One is to hand more control and public money to the corporate insurance companies that control healthcare now. These are the same companies that set skyrocketing premium prices, raised deductibles and limited access to doctors. Some plans being discussed would give them hundreds of millions of dollars of state money, without accountability. (For more on this issue, see LSP’s latest blog.)
We have to speak up for a better plan. Join us next Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the State Capitol to do just that. There will be a rally at the Capitol Rotunda, beginning at 2 p.m. Please arrive at 1:45 pm (or earlier in the day if you are interested in lobbying – see below)
Join with members of the Land Stewardship Project, the Minnesota Nurses Association, TakeAction Minnesota, and ISAIAH to call for affordable healthcare that works for all Minnesotans.
Quality, affordable healthcare is a priority for Land Stewardship Project members and Minnesotans across the state. Unaffordable healthcare is a barrier for young people wanting to start farming, and to families who have to find an off-farm job for insurance. Healthcare costs hit small businesses and people working jobs without benefits. It gets in the way of folks ready to retire, and parents wanting to stay home with kids.
We need you to join us in speaking out for a better option than the corporate insurance system. Join LSP Feb. 14 to call for creating a MinnesotaCare public option.
If you plan on attending, please e-mail LSP’s Jonathan Maurer-Jones and he will follow up with more information. A group from LSP will be at the Capitol earlier in the day to talk to key legislators about healthcare — if you’re interested in joining us, let us know.