Dear Neighbor,
The House on Thursday provided final approval of a health insurance relief/reform package and the governor enacted it into law.
I am proud of how quickly we got this done. Not only did we provide relief to people who are really suffering from premium increases, but we also are providing some meaningful reform that will help us get at the underlying causes of high premiums and contain costs in the future.
The package (S.F. 1), which passed the Senate earlier in the day, provides a 25-percent premium reduction to Minnesotans who do not qualify for MNsure tax credits on the individual market. It also includes key Republican-led reforms to preserve care for those receiving life-saving treatments and increase competition and consumer choice moving forward.
This is a big achievement and it is good to see a bipartisan solution achieved so soon in the session. It really speaks to the importance of the issue. More work is needed to improve the structure of health insurance, but this is a nice start.
On another topic, some highways in our District 12B are undergoing speed limit increases – from 55 to 60 mph – which take effect as the new signs are posted along the roadways. MnDOT consistently studies speed limits and determined these changes are appropriate. Crews were scheduled to begin that work earlier this week.
Highways affected are:
- Highway 104 from Glenwood south to Sunburg
- Highway 114 from Starbuck, through Lowry, to I-94
- Highway 29 from Wadena through Alexandria, through Glenwood and Starbuck, through Benson to Highway 40
- Highway 27 from Browns Valley through Wheaton, Herman, and Hoffman, to I-94 at Alexandria
Please be cautious as these changes are made and patient as drivers adapt.
Finally, in last week’s email I mentioned that I attended a lengthy meeting regarding the implementation of buffer zones. If you missed the column I submitted on that subject to area newspapers, you can click here for my perspective on the issue.
Sincerely,
Paul