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FYI couple things I've heard personally about this stuff from gov't officials:
1 Education pool got jammed up b/c some group--most likely republicans--think there needs to be another study, in addition to the one Joel cited, for whatever reason. Some committees/legislators formed a query about this asking the Commerce Dept. to do the add'l research. Commerce's response was that they couldn't/wouldn't do it without special funding for the project--$600,00 was the figure that sticks in my mind. Legislators want Commerce to do it under the belief that the report wouldn't cost the state add'l $ since it would be done in-house instead of paying an outside group. Don't know what the status is with that issue currently, but my source was from a committee meeting I attended where the topic came up, and then in talking to the head of the health insurance division of Commerce. 2 other little points: 1. I was told that there is a struggle between the education districts b/c some think they'll be less well off in their benefit coverage with the pool--maybe also financially--while some districts will be better off than presently, at the expense of those districts already better off. Thus some are balking at being in a state-wide pool. 2. The report that Joel links to was done by Reden and Anders, an actuarial/accounting/consultant subsidiary of United Health Group; of course I'm not implying that HMOs are biased.
On the complete statewide pool of publicly-financed health care, this has come up a few times in meetings I've been at. Pawlenty's Health Cabinet has been floating this idea in public for about 18 months. In a private meeting along with another single-payer advocate that we had with Cal Ludeman, chair of the HC Cabinet and DOER commissioner, he told us that the idea was being given serious consideration. From other sources I've heard that there is also some dissensus about being in the pool from those groups that think they'll be worse off in the pool than currently. Possibly it's MAPE that had/has some issues, but I can't recall for certain.
john schwarz
----- Original Message -----From: joel michael albersSent: Friday, February 03, 2006 12:30 PMSubject: [uhcan-mn] Re: Statewide Teachers' HC PoolHey Scott,
Here is the website that should have the info about Education Mn's (teachers' union) statewide health insurance pool proposal to combine the 300+ school districts of MN into one pool totaling 200,000 teachers, spouses, and dependents. It is backed by a major study of its feasibility and costs. This would be one of the largest pools to date in MN, and a good first step to create debate toward fundamental reform that many organizations, legislators, electoral candidates, etc can rally around and is "politically feasible".
www.educationminnesota.org, then click Negotiations, then click Statewide Health Insurance FAQ.
FFI on this, and other social insurance models, we can discuss it at the MN UHCAN mtg tues, feb 7, 7PM Walker church basement.
thanks,
joel
PS I spoke with an AFSCME (state, county, and municipal employees) District Council member recently who suggested their interest in pooling of ALL government, tax-financed sectors in MN, which, combined with the school districts would total well over 1 million Minnesotans -- perhaps a good second or third step).
On Thursday, February 2, 2006, at 08:15 PM, harp0083 wrote:
Hey, Joel-<image.tiff>
You spoke of the efforts by Minnesota school districts to pool into one
health insurance system. Can you give me more information about that? Is
there someone who is spearheading that effort?
I brought that idea up today at our MPHA annual conference planning mtg. I'd
like to pursue that topic and perhaps that leader to speak on behalf of that
effort as a key break-out session. Your thoughts to that idea would be
appreciated.
Talk to you soon. I haven't forgotten about doing lunch sometime. I hope you
can fit me in.
Scott Harpin
On 2 Feb 2006, joel albers wrote:
> Dear MN UHCAN activists,
>
> Next meeting TUESDAY, February 7, 7PM
>
> Walker church Basement, 3104 16th ave s. (near lake street and
bloomington
> ave in Mpls)
>
> www.uhcan-mn.org
> 612-384-0973
> joel@...
>
> Items;
> reportbacks
> Medicare Part D
> Organizing our own HC fund cooperative
> MN UHCAN fundraiser in March
> other items,ideas to add, let me know ?
>
> thanks,
> joel
>
>
>
>
<image.tiff>
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Joel Albers
Minnesota Universal Health Care Action Network
612-384-0973
joel@...
www.uhcan-mn.org
Health Care Economics Researcher, Clinical Pharmacist
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