Posts by Pat Benner
Sexually Transmitted Infections Plague Minnesotans Across the Age Spectrum
Sexually Transmitted Infections Plague Minnesotans Across the Age Spectrum Minnesotans contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs) more in 2015 than in any other year in the 21st century. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), incidence rates (the number of new cases) of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have all risen since 2000. Worryingly,…
Read MoreMinnesota Needs the Provider Tax Renewed
A financial crisis threatens the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF), one of the primary revenue sources for Medical Assistance in Minnesota. Recent federal decisions led to cuts in MinnesotaCare funding, and subsequent lawsuits brought the financial status of MinnesotaCare into the public eye. But Minnesota has a larger problem ahead, as the primary revenue generator…
Read MoreMinnesota Insurance Enrollment Broke State Record
More Minnesotans can claim health insurance than ever before. Unlike many of its neighbors, the state has leaned into the Affordable Care Act, and reaped rewards—only 4% of Minnesotans lack insurance for 2018. MNSure recently announced that the 2017 open enrollment period broke its previous record for insurance coverage—a victory in the face of a…
Read MoreIll-Conceived Trump EO Would Force Thousands of Minnesotans to Spend Thousands on Contraception
The President recently signed an illogical and unpopular executive order (EO) that would jeopardize access to affordable contraception for thousands of Minnesotans. Back in October President Trump rolled back the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate that required employers to offer insurance products with no-cost contraception included. This EO would allow employers or insurance companies with…
Read MoreMinnesota’s Community Health Centers Face a Funding Crisis
The most vulnerable Minnesotans faced a new challenge October 1st. When the previous budget expired, Congress failed to provide stable funding for community health centers (CHCs) that serve these populations. Though Congress passed a 90-day extension of funding as a temporary salve for this problem, it failed to address the massive threat to the financial…
Read MoreWhy Transparency Matters: Minnesotans’ Health Care Costs Vary Extensively
Health care prices in Minnesota vary widely and lack transparency, and that opacity contributes to an inefficient and inequitable statewide market. Minnesotans often pay significantly more for the same procedure depending on where they live, without a simple way to evaluate procedure prices. Stronger efforts at transparency—in both the actual costs borne by patients, and…
Read MoreMedical Billing: A Primer
In preparation for an upcoming article, we’re returning to the Safety Net Series to discuss the incredibly odd world of medical billing. This article will take a quick look at how prices are set, along with how the users of medical care interact with this system. The most important thing to understand how medical billing…
Read More“It’s the Prices, Stupid” Redux: Remembering Health Economist Uwe Reinhardt
On November 13th, Princeton professor and world-renowned health economist Uwe Reinhardt passed away. His work focused on the American health care system, and he attempted to figure out how the US health system is different from other Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. He and his fellow co-authors wanted to take a…
Read MoreAlexander-Murray: Examining What This Bipartisan Bill Would Accomplish
So far in 2017, the vast majority of health care policy proposals, bills, and amendments have not had much input from progressives at the state or national level. Bills that generally have the goal of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act have followed a general blueprint of proposing legislation, holding as few hearings as…
Read MoreMinnesota Set for Successful Health Care Open Enrollment; Neighbors In the Midwest Less So
As of November 1st, MNSure and the rest of the nation’s individual health insurance marketplaces are officially open for those who need to buy or renew their insurance policies for 2018. MNSure staff expect over 100,000 Minnesotans to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan, with an additional 30,000 people enrolling in MinnesotaCare. Additionally, over 100,000…
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