SAINT PAUL, Minn. – In response to recent reports that patients enrolled in for-profit Medicare Advantage insurance plans may lose access to the health care systems and providers they count on for medical care, the undersigned House DFL Legislators have released the following statement:
“Members of the Minnesota House DFL are concerned by announcements from major health systems, including HealthPartners and Essentia Health, that they will be dropping out of Medicare Advantage networks offered by for-profit health insurers Humana and UnitedHealthcare, citing disproportionately high levels of claim denials and slow processing times. If this situation is not resolved, thousands of Minnesotans will face network disruptions or higher out-of-pocket costs for their healthcare in 2025.?
“We believe all Minnesotans should get the care they deserve at a price they can afford, and that no healthcare entity should put profits over the interests of patients. While the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over Medicare Advantage plans, and the state legislature has no explicit authority over contract negotiations between health systems and insurers, the House DFL has taken significant steps over the last two legislative sessions to maintain and improve access to quality health care and protect our publicly funded health programs from exploitation by private profit-making entities. In 2024, DFLers passed legislation to reform prior authorization practices, to better understand the financial transactions taking place within our health care system, and to provide stricter oversight of large corporate mergers that may not be in the best interests of Minnesotans. There is much more work to be done.
“At a time when profit-making enterprises are working their way into our healthcare system all across the country and taking a greater share of our health care dollar, when we are also seeing greater penetration of private equity into healthcare, these disputes remind us that for-profit insurance does not move Minnesota toward our goal of affordable health care for all.??
“We appreciate hearing from affected Minnesotans about their experiences throughout this conflict between large for-profit insurers and large health care systems. We will continue to seek solutions that will ensure affordable health care?for all Minnesotans, regardless of their employment status, socioeconomic background, or zip code;?but it is time for Congress to act as well. We call on the members of our Congressional delegation, both Republicans and Democrats, to ensure that the Medicare Advantage program lives up to its name.
“Choosing a health insurance plan is complicated and can have big consequences for the enrollee. During the Medicare enrollment period, we urge Minnesotans on Medicare to ignore the advertising and carefully examine their choices. Free help is available through Medicare.Gov or the state’s Senior LinkAge Line, at 800-333-2433.”
Undersigned members of the House DFL:
Tina Liebling (DFL - Rochester)
Robert Bierman (DFL - Apple Valley)
Sydney Jordan (DFL - Minneapolis)
Fue Lee (DFL - Minneapolis)
Dave Pinto (DFL - Saint Paul)
Frank Hornstein (DFL - Minneapolis)
Steve Elkins (DFL - Bloomington)
Mohamud Noor (DFL - Minneapolis)
Liz Reyer (DFL - Eagan)
Cheryl Youakim (DFL - Hopkins)
Matt Norris (DFL - Blaine)
Jeff Brand (DFL - Saint. Peter)
Lucy Rehm (DFL - Chanhassen)
Rick Hansen (DFL - South Saint Paul)
Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL - Woodbury)
Liish Kozlowski (DFL - Duluth)
John Huot (DFL - Rosemount)
Jay Xiong (DFL - Saint Paul)
Josiah Hill (DFL - Stillwater)
Kelly Moller (DFL - Shoreview)
Ned Carroll (DFL - Plymouth)
Brion Curran (DFL - White Bear Lake)
Kristin Bahner (DFL - Maple Grove)
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