The #PoliticsOfCare means ensuring healthcare works for us when we need it.

I worked in the corporate health insurance industry for 17 years, and I saw how these companies put profits over people every day. Too often, families in our community cannot afford the cost of medications, doctor visits, or health insurance. I will work to bring down the cost of premiums and the outrageously high deductibles that deter people from seeking exams, diagnostics, and treatment.

Minnesota Health Plan

MinnesotaCare currently offers affordable, low-cost healthcare plans for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans with low incomes. By allowing families and individuals of all income levels to buy-in to the Minnesota Health Plan, we can increase market competitiveness, establish portable health insurance options that are not linked to employers--reducing costs for our businesses, and create a cost-effective health insurance option that serves the healthcare and budgetary needs of Minnesotans. As a member of the Minnesota Health Plan caucus, I am advocating for a world where access to quality insurance is no longer tied to employment.

Practical Solutions to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices

There are new cost caps on critical prescription medications, but we still have a long way to go. We must continue to ensure there is broad access to birth control, insulin, and other life-saving treatments. For people with rare terminal conditions, we must broaden access to and opportunities to participate in clinical trials and ensure there is an ethical mandate on pharmaceutical companies to offer ongoing, compassionate access for those who benefit from them.

Protecting Patient Access to Affordable Healthcare by Limiting the Fall Outs of Private Equity Deals

Private equity has skyrocketed the costs of healthcare, and data shows that health outcomes are worse when healthcare facilities become more focused on shareholder profits than providing world-class healthcare. These deals end up driving up the cost of care, driving down the quality of care, and all too often resulting in the unnecessary complications and deaths of our beloved friends, family, and neighbors. We often find that real estate conundrums put facilities in tough spots when they are expected to afford double or triple buy-back leases while insurance companies are not reimbursing at rates that keep up with inflation. I am carrying a bill to lead the nation in banning the use of private equity in healthcare. This is a very fine line to walk to adequately plan for unintended consequences and to ensure we strike the most perfect balance to do the most good for the most people. This work is complex and intriguing, and I am proud to partner with our very own resident of Savage, former Rep. Hunter Cantrell, and many others, to engage in these critical conversations.

Pricing and Service Transparency in the Market

From hospitals to pharmaceutical manufacturers, I am committed to doing my part to stop the price gouging in our healthcare industry that has made the cost of care unsustainable. I want our healthcare industry to be economically viable, and affordable for generations to come. I believe that by requiring hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, health insurance companies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers to play by the same rules as other businesses in terms of pricing transparency and the work of our anti-price gouging mandates, we can ensure that all Minnesotans can access fairly-priced healthcare services.