Weather Forecast


Letter: MNsure problems won't be solved by a vendor


Rep. John Persell's perspective on health care history published in the Pioneer (Jan. 14) attempts to deflect and gloss over the very real problems being caused by MNsure these days. He and other Democrats legitimately tried to brush off MNsure's troubles as a "vendor issue". Has he lost touch with reality? He apparently believes the vendor has caused tens of thousands of Minnesotans to be kicked off their current health insurance policies. How insulting.


On Jan 1 of this year, Brandi Peterson from Laporte wrote a letter to the editor that laid out the real reasons why Minnesotans are being kicked off their insurance polices. They were forced into it because their current policy didn't fit the "new criteria" of the new Affordable Care Act. Premiums doubling or tripling and in all cases deductibles rising out of sight. Their family and thousands others didn't ask for this. How is that affordable? President Reagan had it right, ensuring all American citizens had access to health care albeit through the emergency rooms. It was still a lot less expensive that what we have now.

Rep. Persell and all of his Democratic friends that approved this sham -- MNsure -- need to realize they are the real problem. They blew our money on a program that was ridiculously expensive even by government's standards. They, the state and federal government, misled you to believing it would help more people than it would hurt. They made the law without taking one Republican concern into account. Sound familiar? "Vote for it and find out what's in it."

They failed us. While Rep. Persell claims the Democratic-led Legislature is addressing the problems with MNsure, I also wish they would have told us exactly what they were addressing. Gov. Dayton complaining and passing the buck yet again isn't going to cut it. Blaming Republicans isn't going to work either. The Democrats are in complete control of the governor's office and the Legislature and they are the only ones who can fix the mess they created.

These MNsure problems aren't going to fix themselves or be solved by a vendor. Everyone agrees that quality, affordable health care is worth fighting for. But those who have lost their chosen plans, their chosen doctors and chosen clinics are now paying more for insurance coverage that isn't acceptable or affordable. They are speaking out and demanding better from those who control the future of MNsure.

Claude Sand