Friday's news conference called by Minnesota Senate DFLers on individual health-insurance rate hikes quickly morphed into an unhelpful political squabble over who did and didn't do what during the last legislative session.
Yes, it is fine to note that price-stabilization reforms cleared the DFL-controlled chamber last year but failed to generate House Republican support in conference committee — a reality that Sens. Tony Lourey, DFL-Kerrick, and Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, detailed at the podium. But the energy subsequently sucked into whether these reforms followed proper procedure — questions raised by state Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, and House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown — as they also took the podium to spotlight their party's solutions, diverted attention from the urgent issue at hand:
What can be done before the end of the year to help Minnesotans who are facing massive monthly premium increases but don't qualify for financial aid newly available through the Affordable Care Act?
Time is fleeting. The 5 percent of Minnesotans who buy private health care on their own — those who don't get insurance through employers or programs such as Medicare — have until Dec. 15 to choose health coverage kicking in Jan. 1. Payment for the first month's premium is due before the coverage's start date.
That leaves only a few weeks to craft a solution for consumers facing average rate increases of 50 to 67 percent, and for many a dwindling number of health plans to choose from thanks to new enrollment caps this year.
Many Minnesotans will qualify for the ACA's tax credit assistance, which acts as instant discounts on monthly premiums and is available only through MNsure. But too many Minnesotans will not, and they may be priced out of the market.
Those in this situation don't give a damn about political wrangling over the last legislative session. What they care about is getting help as soon a possible to keep themselves and their families insured. These unfortunate Minnesotans deserve to know as soon as possible whether help is coming and when it will arrive. It's a matter of weeks before they have to make coverage decisions.
This Editorial Board has previously highlighted the urgency for fixes and has called for a special session to accomplish two goals. One, passing a short-term aid package for these consumers. House Minority Leader Paul Thissen's recently released state rebate plan is a worthy proposal. And two, launching the process in which stakeholders are rapidly assembled to craft longer-term market stabilization reforms to be passed during the regular session. It's also worth taking a hard look at Alaska's "reinsurance" program for those with high-cost medical conditions.
Gov. Mark Dayton's commentary published Wednesday in these pages provided little clarity about when short-term aid might be enacted. But a statement Wednesday by him that "time is of the essence" is encouraging. His fact-checking points about MNsure and increased health-insurance costs are well-taken. The state's uninsured rate has been nearly halved under the ACA. It's now about 4 percent. Going backward is not an option.
But the landmark health-reform law has flaws that require fixes, as the steep premium hikes show. Pragmatists are sorely needed to find solutions. To their credit, Abeler, Sheran and Lourey have all suggested thoughtful reforms and ways to pay for them; Abeler especially merits praise for understanding the urgency. The excess reserves of the state's wealthy nonprofit insurers should also be considered in an upcoming debate over funding fixes.
It's past time to move beyond the blame game. Set a date for a special session. There's no time to waste.
