The terms of debate over health exchanges in Minnesota became a little clearer Monday as Republicans in the state Legislature announced a bill to develop what they described as a free-market alternative to plans from the administration of Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton.
The bill would give individuals access to personal health premium accounts where they could amass funds from a variety of sources to buy health care coverage.
As such, the legislation might help spread insurance coverage to more people with part-time jobs - one of the key groups in the state that currently lacks access to coverage, said Rep. Steve Gottwalt, a Republican from St. Cloud who is sponsoring the bill in the House.
But it's unclear how the idea will be received by Dayton or if it would be sufficient to win certification by the federal government, which by year's end will evaluate the state's planning for a health exchange in Minnesota.
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"This is not a health exchange," said Sen. David Hann, a Republican from Eden Prairie who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate. "We're just creating a financial instrument...by which people who currently are not insured can be insured."
http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_20105454
Hat Tip: Pioneer Press
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