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Health Care and Mental Health
Health care is an important issue for nearly every American. At this juncture and without a national solution, Minnesota continues to wrestle with solutions that will both expand access and cut costs.
Currently, 8.5 percent of Minnesota’s population is without health insurance. That means nearly 454,000 Minnesotans are more likely to use the emergency room for care, which exacerbates costs across the system. Without access to health care, children are particularly vulnerable. Nearly 85,000 children in Minnesota remain without health care coverage.
The "Cover All Kids" health insurance package should include all children, regardless of immigration status. While adults may have honest differences on immigration policy, certainly children should not be denied health care coverage based on the migration choices of their parents.
Individuals facing mental illness also suffer due to under-funded heath care options. As uninsured individuals cope with mental illness, they frequently fall through the holes in our social safety nets and end up chronically homeless or in prison. Early intervention, via access to community mental health care, strives to protect individuals who are challenged by mental illness.
Given the current budget deficit, it will be a struggle to expand programs. The legislature will be tempted to use funds from the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF) to balance the budget. If, on the other hand, those without health care were eligible for MinnesotaCare, the fund would be used for its intended purpose and not be a casualty of balancing the budget.
Legislative Directions:
- Guarantee universal health care coverage for all children
- Expand access to community-based mental health care
- Expand MinnesotaCare as was originally intended
- Support the discussion of the Minnesota Health Plan, a “Medicare For All”-type health care plan that would provide health insurance for all Minnesotans
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