AARP Fighting for Health Care Here at Home

As Congress debates reforming our health care system, AARP is fighting hard in Washington to make sure Medicare is protected—and that all Americans have access to affordable coverage. At the same time, AARP is preparing to make sure the safety net - and access to health and long-term care programs—remains strong here in Minnesota.

AARP has long fought to ensure that Minnesotans have access to the health and long-term care services they need. Next legislative session, AARP will be working with state legislators to restore cuts to health and long-term care programs—and to protect the vulnerable from additional cuts that may be proposed.

“We need national health care reform now and AARP is fighting hard to see a bill signed into law this year,” said Michele Kimball, AARP State Director. “Because any new health reform won't take affect right away, we must continue to work at the state level to ensure that Minnesotans can get the health and long-term care they need here at home.”

The State of Minnesota’s health and human services state budget took quite a beating this past legislative session to help balance the state’s budget. In the end, health and human services saw a a total cut of nearly $1.6 billion between budget cuts, line-item vetoes, unallotments and loss of federal funds.

Cuts in Health Coverage

At the top of the list was a major cut to health coverage. Approximately 35,000 of the state’s poorest Minnesotans will lose access to health coverage as a result of Governor Pawlenty’s line-item veto and unallotment of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC).

And, looming on the horizon is another possible signficant deficit in the FY 2012-13 biennium—experts say it could range somewhere between $4.4 and $7.2 billion.

As the 2010 Legislative Session approaches, AARP is gearing up to make sure that Minnesotans have access to health coverage—and that older Minnesotans are protected from any loss in the safety net.

Providing Coverage for More Minnesotans

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau numbers, in Minnesota, 8.5 percent of people were uninsured in 2007-08, or about one in 12 Minnesotans. This number is expected to grow because the figure does not include Minnesotans who may have lost insurance at some point in 2008 as a result of job loss.

New Census numbers also reveal that employer-provided health care coverage is falling in our state. The percentage of Minnesotans with employer-provided coverage was 71 percent in 2007-08, down from 77 percent in 2000-01. The overall number of insured in Minnesota has remained pretty stable because the public sector has covered more and more Minnesotans.

You Can Help

Staff will work with members of AARP’s Grassroots, Elections and Advocacy Team to make our voice heard at the Legislature this year. Join our team to help advocate for older Minnesotans on important issues. Send us an email at aarpmn@aarp.org for more information.