Legislative Update – March 24, 2017

Last week the Minnesota House of Representatives released their budget targets, which tell us how they would allocate the state’s projected $1.7 billion surplus for FY 2018-19. Like the Senate targets released earlier in the month, the House targets put the bulk of the surplus to tax reductions and tax aids and credits, and propose a stark decrease in general fund dollars for Health and Human Services. (more…)

Proposal debated to stabilize health care: Reinsurance could lower premiums, but premiums could go up anyway

One of the sticking points as Minnesota leaders debate a proposal called “reinsurance” to try to stabilize the state’s individual health care market is how much of an effect it will actually have.

Gov. Mark Dayton, on Thursday, March 16, criticized health insurers for not being willing to make firm promises to sell affordable insurance if lawmakers spend up to $300 million in taxpayer money on reinsurance. (more…)