Minnesotans want fair, reasonably priced health care, but understand the complexity of the system, according to a private statewide study that gathered information in Albert Lea last spring.

Saturday, November 03, 2001

Minnesotans want fair, reasonably priced health care, but understand the complexity of the system, according to a private statewide study that gathered information in Albert Lea last spring.

Former U.S. Representative Tim Penny said Minnesotans’ expectations are reasonable and based on common sense.

&uot;We just tried to get people to talk out loud about what their frustrations are with the current system,&uot; Penny said &uot;People really appreciated the chance to talk about this.&uot;

Among the findings of the state tour, which was sponsored by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota:

n Fairness: Participants said health care should be available to all, and mostly agreed that it’s only fair for everyone to pay something for their health care.

n Choice: Many participants said they value being able to choose their own doctors, and they want employers to offer more than one plan option.

n Market forces: Most said they want private, market-driven health care, but saw some opportunities for government involvement.

People in Albert Lea particularly were vocal about preventative health care, Penny said. People argued that more kinds of preventative measures should be covered and encouraged by insurance companies – even rewarded with rate reductions.

Penny said Blue Cross/Blue Shield will use the information in crafting future policies, and has already forwarded the findings to the state health department.

More information on the statewide tour, called Minnesota Decides, is available online at www.bluecrossmn.com.