State health care visions

In the legislature, there are currently two competing visions for the future of state health care in Minnesota. On the one hand, Republicans are looking to throw more and more people off of MnCare. In the Senate, the plan is to reverse the cuts of recent years and ensure that low income adults can actually go to the doctor when they are sick.

Just today, a study found that Minnesota has the lowest rate of uninsured working adults in the country. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Texas has the highest rate. State programs like MnCare are a big part of that low number. Senate Democrats want to preserve Minnesota's top ranking; Republicans want to move the state towards Texas and Louisiana.

Becoming more like Texas is not a good strategy for ensuring the long-term health of this state. Kicking people off of health care so hospitals can absorb more costs, driving costs up for the rest of us, is not a good idea.