Law would ensure health care for all Minnesotans - Rochester Post-Bulletin

A coalition of health-advocacy organizations has proposed a law to fix Minnesota's part in the nation's health-care problems.

The Minnesota Health Security Act would require "comprehensive, affordable health care for everyone in Minnesota, starting with our state's children."

According to "Make Health Happen Campaign," the coalition represents 350,000 members of organizations like the Minnesota Nurses Association; the Children's Defense Fund; the Minnesota branch of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and unions representing service and industrial workers.

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Nick Coleman: State's neediest face grim fate if budget cuts hit health care

Dr. Elizabeth Frost is a family practitioner at St. Paul's West Side Community clinic. One day last week, she diagnosed a likely case of breast cancer in a 51-year-old uninsured woman too poor to pay for her exam. Fortunately, the state of Minnesota has a free cancer-screening program for women over 40 to help detect breast and cervical cancer.

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Jim Koppel: The goal: Affordable health care for everyone

"Today at the State Capitol, a coalition representing 350,000 Minnesotans will launch a campaign to reshape the future of our state's economy, its business climate, its schools and its workforce. The campaign has just one goal: to provide health coverage to every Minnesotan and reap the enormous long-term economic and social benefits that healthy citizens bring."

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KARE11.com: Broad coalition demands affordable health care for 'all' Minnesotans

The push is on again at the State Capitol to make the word "uninsured" a thing of the past in Minnesota, at least when it comes to health care.

A broad coalition dubbed "Make Health Care Happen" launched a campaign to build support for a bill known as The Minnesota Health Security Act. The goal is to cover all 77,000 children the group estimates are currently uninsured in the state by July of 2010, and expand that to 300,000 adults who lack coverage in 2012.

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Statewide Coalition to Launch “Make Health Happen” Campaign

Group to Lay Out Plan for Health Coverage For All Minnesotans

St. Paul - A coalition representing 350,000 Minnesotans will launch its “Make Health Happen” campaign to reform the state’s health care system, which now leaves hundreds of thousands of state residents without health coverage and many thousands more underinsured. 

The press conference will take place on Thursday, January 8 at 10 a.m. in room 125 of the State Capitol.  At the event, coalition members, lawmakers and supporters will outline how costly it is for Minnesota to leave 375,000 residents, including 77,000 children, without coverage and they will discuss legislation to address the problem.

Minnesota Health Security Act to be Introduced

The group will also unveil the “Minnesota Health Security Act” (MHSA) which charts a clear path to guaranteed affordable health coverage for all Minnesotans, starting with children.  It will be introduced in both the House and Senate.  The bill is based on the Children’s Health Security Act, which successfully passed the state House in 2007.  The bill’s authors, Representative Paul Thissen and Senator Tony Lourey, will participate in the event.

Coalition members said providing coverage for all Minnesotans is especially important in the current economic hard times because skyrocketing health care costs are the top cause of bankruptcy in the United States, and one-half of all home foreclosures are the result of a family being hit by unaffordable medical costs.   A report released this past year estimated that more than three Minnesotans die each week because they don’t’ have health coverage.

Coalition partners include TakeAction Minnesota,
AFSCME Council 5,
Children’s Defense Fund-Minnesota, Education Minnesota, 
ISAIAH, 
Minnesota Nurses Association, 
SEIU Minnesota State Council, 
The Minnesota AFL-CIO.  Many other labor and faith-based organizations, as well as groups working for children, families, racial, economic and social justice, and human rights will support the effort.

Statewide Coalition to Launch

“Make Health Happen” Campaign
Thursday, January 8 at 10 a.m.
Room 125 State Capitol