Outside Group Calling on GOP to Slow Down
St. Paul, MN – GOP Lawmakers are rushing to pass relief for Minnesotans impacted by health insurance hikes, causing some to ask lawmakers to slow the process down.
President of the Citizens Council for Health Freedom Twila Brase testified before the Senate, urging them to stop trying to rush the vital legislation. Brase tells Alpha News this is far too fast of a pace, stating, “The plan is to do it in seven days, essentially in a week, from introduction to passage, and we know that the Minnesota people don’t understand what’s in there, we don’t really understand what’s in there, it’s a moving target, and it’s really a violation of the legislature.”
During the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee GOP lawmakers stressed the importance of providing relief for premium increases before the end of open enrollment on January 31st. Vice Chair of the committee and one of two doctors in the Senate, Senator Scott Jensen says this bill should just be a starting point, stating, “What we’re trying to do with this bill isn’t fixing the problem. This is about trying to provide relief, trying to provide some enhanced access and provide some guarantees for patients so they have that access, and lastly, we want reform.”
Senator Jensen says lawmakers need to take their time to see what happens at the federal level with healthcare after Trump’s inauguration in order to propose bills that provide real solutions to Minnesota’s healthcare problems.
Senator Jensen shared his thoughts for fixing Minnesota’s healthcare issues, explaining, “I would absolutely attach reform to relief, and relief to access. And when I talk about access I mean allow the patient to choose their primary care doctor.”
The healthcare bill has already made its way through several committees. There is no date officially set to receive a floor vote, but with the pace it is passing through committees it could be voted on as early as Thursday.
Subscribe to Alpha News as we continue to closely follow the healthcare bill.
