Here Is What Happens

Here is what happens when you give 85 Democrats control of the Minnesota House of Representatives!

1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to public health; increasing affordability and continuity of care for state
1.3health care programs; modifying health care provisions; establishing a public
1.4health access fund; increasing the tobacco impact fees; providing subsidies for
1.5employee share of employer-subsidized insurance; establishing the Minnesota
1.6Health Insurance Exchange; requiring certain employers to offer Section 125
1.7Plan; creating an affordability standard; requiring mandated reports; authorizing
1.8rulemaking; appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections
1.916A.725, subdivision 1; 62A.65, subdivision 3; 62E.141; 62L.12, subdivisions
1.102, 4; 256.01, by adding a subdivision; 256.9658, subdivisions 3, 9; 256B.061;
1.11 256B.69, by adding a subdivision; 256D.03, by adding a subdivision; 256L.05,
1.12by adding a subdivision; 256L.06, subdivision 3; 256L.07, subdivision 3;
1.13256L.15, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2007 Supplement, sections
1.1413.46, subdivision 2; 256B.056, subdivision 10; 256L.03, subdivisions 3, 5;
1.15256L.04, subdivisions 1, 7; 256L.05, subdivision 3a; 256L.07, subdivision 1;
1.16256L.15, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
1.17chapters 16A; 145; 256B; proposing coding for new law as Minnesota Statutes,
1.18chapter 62U; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 256L.15, subdivision 3.
1.19BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

If you are a smoker, a member of the middle class (income $45,000 to $150,000 annual income), an employer, a health care professional or a health care consumer be prepared to pay dearly for your health care. For example:

2.10 Sec. 3. [145.986] STATEWIDE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
2.11 Subdivision 1.Goals. The initial goals of the public health access fund are to reduce
2.12the percent of Minnesotans who are obese or overweight to less than half by the year
2.132020 and to reduce tobacco smoking by 2 percent annually starting in 2011. By 2011,
2.14and considering available funding, the commissioner of health, in consultation with the
2.15State Community Health Advisory Committee established in section 145A.10, subdivision
2.1610, and other stakeholders, may make recommendations as to future goals related to
2.17alcohol use and illegal drug use.

Do you smoke? Use alcohol? Overweight? Be prepared to have the state dictate what you can and can not eat, drink or otherwise consume.

Say you are a family of 4 living on $66,000 a year (400% of the federal poverty level). Your cost for "free" government health care will be capped at 8% per year or $5280. If you have employer provided health care you will get a "credit" for the amount of your health care premiums, deductibles and other cost sharing, minus an amount based in the "affordability" specified in section 62U.08. Now for this typical family in that range our premiums, deductables and other cost sharing only amounts to about $2500 a year - net increase in health care premiums of $2780.00. I thought this was supposed to make health care "more affordable"?

It also creates a whole new level of state bureaucracy - the Commission of Health! Just what we need.....more government!

I am just starting to read this 52 page book. Keep an eye for more thoughts and notes here in these pages. But if first impressions are anything, I am not expecting much from this.