Single-Payer Bill
House File 481 (Mariani) / Senate File 414 (Foley),
Universal, Single-Payer Health Coverage.
Summarized by the Minnesota House of Representatives.
HF 481 and SF 414 creates a single, publicly-financed program to provide comprehensive coverage for all necessary health care services for residents of Minnesota.
Six regional boards and the Minnesota Universal Health Board (UHB) are created. The regional boards will develop budgets for meeting the health needs of the region’s residents. The Universal Health Board will then use the regional budgets to develop a state budget for the program. The UHB would administer the universal health program.
A Minnesota Health Care trust Fund would be established to fund the program. The Trust Fund would consist of state savings attributed to state health program consolidation, revenues from existing state and federal programs and a progressive income tax. The Universal Health Board would administer the Trust Fund.
Initial enrollment of low-income, uninsured individuals and families would begin two years after enactment of the legislation. The program would expand over time to cover everyone in the state within five years. Health plans would be prohibited from selling coverage that duplicates the benefits provided under the universal health program. To qualify for the program, a person would be required to be a Minnesota resident for at least six months.
The Health Care Trust Fund would be divided among several accounts including: the Prevention Account to pay for preventive care; the Health Services Account to pay providers; Capital Account to pay for construction, renovation and equipping of health care facilities; and a Medical Research Account, to improve the quality of care and make decisions about health benefits.
The universal health program would cover a comprehensive package of health services, including: acute and chronic health care; preventive services; dental care; inpatient and outpatient mental health, including care for serious and persistent mental illness; home health care; pharmaceuticals and medical supplies; and eventually long-term care. An eligible person could choose to receive care from any provider licensed or registered in Minnesota.
All licensed providers are considered to be participating in the program unless the provider notifies the UHB otherwise. Institutional providers, which include hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and nursing homes, would negotiate budgets to cover their annual costs with regional boards. Individual providers would be reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis, with fees being negotiated by the UHB and the appropriate professional group.
For additional information, visit the Minnesota State Legislature Web site: www.leg.state.mn.us, click Bill Search, then enter bill numbers for House 481 and Senate 414, respectively. Or, contact Minnesota Universal Health Care Action Network at (612) 384-0973, www.uhcan-mn.org