Throughout my travels across Minnesota, folks have voiced many concerns, but the main issue they continue to raise is improving our nation’s health care system. As a father, I understand what it is like to stay up at night wondering if my kids will have access to high-quality and affordable health care if the unthinkable happens. I have held several health care listening sessions throughout my time in office where constituents, business owners and local leaders share similar concerns and gather to discuss the best way to change and improve our health care system. These important discussions have given me a concrete vision of the kind of health care system Minnesota—and America—needs as well as a set of initiatives to fight for in Washington, including overall health reform, rural health promotion, health literacy, and improving health insurance options for small businesses.
As the state known for the having the lowest rate of uninsured, the healthiest population and some of the highest quality, lowest cost care in the country, other states can learn a lot from Minnesota. First and foremost, we must make sure every American has access to affordable health insurance. This does not mean giving Washington bureaucrats the power to assign your children’s doctor, dentist or pharmacist. Instead, the government’s role should be in ensuring access, affordability, reliability and quality, while keeping health care decisions where they belong – in the hands of you and your doctor.
I undertake the challenge of health care reform with a set of concrete principles. First, everyone should have access to affordable health care and once you are insured, you should not have to worry about losing it just because you get sick. Tax reform should level the playing field, so that people who don’t have access to employer-based coverage receive equal tax benefits when purchasing health insurance. Moreover, workers should be able to leave their employer, start a new business, change jobs or spend more time at home with their family without risking their health care coverage. Insurance reform should also rein in the high-cost of premiums and guarantee access to coverage, regardless of any pre-existing conditions, so people who need care the most aren’t denied access to critical health care services.
Second, our health care system needs to do a better job of rewarding high-quality, low-cost care and educating consumers so they can make wise decisions with their health care dollars. This is why I introduced the National Health Literacy Act, which will expand consumer’s ability to obtain and understand health care information and services. Moreover, we should put more focus on encouraging and rewarding healthier lifestyles instead of solely treating people when they are sick. A recent study estimated that simply reducing the rate of obesity could save $60 billion in treatment costs and improve the nation's economic output by more than $250 billion. This study goes on to say that more emphasis on prevention and early detection could save our health care system over $1 trillion each year.
While comprehensive reforms may seem daunting, I am confident with a lot of hard work and creative thinking—we can do it. I have always said some problems are far too large for one party to solve and improving our nation’s health care system is definitely one of these problems. As always, I am committed to working across the aisle and with every ideology to ensure everyone has access to the high-quality, affordable care they need and deserve.
Ensuring Rural Minnesota Has Access to Quality Care
For those living in urban areas, such as the Twin Cities, it would be inconceivable to drive more than an hour just to get to the emergency room. Folks in places like Duluth or Rochester don’t have to go far to get the latest medical technology to treat conditions like congestive heart failure or diabetes. But for residents of rural Minnesota, access to quality health care can be much more challenging. In a state that leads the nation in quality and innovative health care, access to the best health care possible should never depend on your zip code.
One of the biggest challenges facing rural Minnesota is ensuring the technology, adequate personnel capabilities, and money is in place to provide residents with the health care they need. For the stability of rural communities and the health of the Americans that live there, we need to overcome these challenges. That is why I introduced a package of bills that seek to effectively enhance the quality, affordability, and accessibility of health care in rural Minnesota. These bills address everything from fixing the shortage of rural health care personnel to improving mental health services in rural communities to expanding the use of remote monitoring technology.
It also focuses on the long-term sustainability of Minnesota’s 79 Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), rehabilitating dilapidated CAH buildings, and enabling CAHs to better compete for funding to modernize their health information technology systems. The good news is that after years of pushing for the construction of a CAH in Cass County, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently gave preliminary approval to the county to construct a hospital in the city of Walker. Previously, Cass County was unable to build a CAH in Walker because it is 31.9 miles away from the nearest CAH or hospital and; therefore, did not meet the federal 35-mile minimum distance rule. After engaging in months of appeals and negotiations, CMS released new requirements waiving the 35-mile rule in cases where there are no primary roads connecting two hospitals. I have spoken with residents and local leaders of Cass County many times and in each conversation, they have always identified the lack of an accessible care center as their biggest concern. I know firsthand how important the construction of this hospital is to the people of Cass County and after years of hard work, I am thrilled to see progress on this on this important project.
I’m also a cosponsor of two pieces of legislation that will make sure Minnesota pharmacists receive fair reimbursement rates in a timely manner. This is also particularly important in rural communities. We need to pass both these bills this year, so Minnesota pharmacists can spend their time helping people get the medication they need, not coming to Washington to beg for fair payment rates.
In more ways than we can possibly measure, rural communities are the heart of America. They provide us with food, energy and more importantly the values and leadership that keep our nation on track. That is why I will continue to make the health care needs of our small town neighbors a national priority. We need to ensure that every American has access to the care and medication that they need to lead healthy and productive lives.
Coleman healthcare accomplishments:
• Cut bureaucratic red tape so Cass County can build a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Walker and as a result of his efforts, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has given preliminary approval to allow this construction;
• Introduced and passed the HOPE Act by a vote of 70-28 on April 11, 2007: This legislation would allow federal funding for stem cell research using embryos with no chance of survival. It has been sent to the House Energy and Commerce Committee;
• Helped to establish the Medicare Part D program. Because of Part D, nearly 575,000 Minnesota seniors now have prescription drug coverage, and over 39 million seniors have enrolled nationwide. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Part D has saved seniors nearly $1,100 per year on their drug costs;
• Spearheaded a number of disease-related initiatives, including improving care for children with cancer, mental health parity, providing services for children with facial deformities and supporting research into Duchennes Muscular Dystrophy;
• Serves on the Senate Special Committee on Aging. In this important role, Coleman is better able to work in the interest of Minnesota’s seniors by exploring key issues such as advanced medical research to fight diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, Medicare and Social Security solvency, and making health care more affordable;
• Supported the SCHIP extension through 2009 and was a leader in trying to get the program reauthorized with a $35 billion increase;
• Is leading the bipartisan effort to expand access to health insurance for our nation’s small businesses, by introducing the Small Business Health Options Program Act or SHOP Act; and
• Co-chairs the Senate Medical Technology Caucus to emphasize the importance of medical technology in bringing our health care system into the 21st Century.