Healthcare

WORKING FOR MINNESOTANS ON HEALTHCARE: GETTING THINGS DONE TO ENSURE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH COVERAGE FOR ALL MINNESOTANS

The single biggest issue facing America is the rising cost of healthcare. Senator Coleman is committed to finding a solution that taps into the energy and creativity of individuals, families and employers, where government coordinates resources rather than tries to control outcomes. In recent healthcare Town Hall forums across Minnesota, Senator Coleman discussed some of the challenges we face in achieving the goal of access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Minnesotans.

• Under the Medicare reform legislation supported by Senator Coleman, over 90% of seniors have prescription drug coverage for the first time in American history. In Minnesota, over half a million people are covered under the program. While this is a great improvement, Senator Coleman believes there is room for much more. By empowering the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices, more seniors can get access to prescription medication without negatively affecting the role the free market has taken in driving drug prices down.
• Senator Coleman has fought to give Americans more healthcare options through his support of Association Health Plans and Health Savings Accounts. Both plans give families, individuals, and small businesses more choices in their healthcare decisions, and bring the power of the open market to bear on the rising costs of healthcare.
• Senator Coleman’s rural and critical access legislation would provide more than $1.6 billion in new funding for new Critical Access Hospitals across the country. It will works to fix imbalances in the way critical access facilities are reimbursed through Medicare, ensuring that the 80 critical access facilities across Minnesota can continue providing services to more than 1.6 million Minnesotans who depend on them for quality healthcare.
• Senator Coleman authored and introduced the HOPE Act to provide much needed federal funding for ethical stem cell research without the needless destruction of human life. The HOPE Act passed the Senate earlier this year with strong bipartisan support and the Senator is hopeful that the House will follow suit and send the bill to the President for his signature in the near future.
• Senator Coleman continues to actively encourage and support medical and scientific innovation, which has a profound effect on us, our children, and future generations. That’s why, in a state that boasts both the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, Senator Coleman has taken a leadership role in embracing the unique resources of our state and bringing Minnesota’s common sense values into the debate over controversial healthcare issues.