Why Is The Minnesota Health Security Act Needed?

Lack of Access to Affordable Health Care Has Reached Epidemic Proportions

Few Minnesotans are immune to the widespread lack of affordable health care in our state.

• 374, 000 Minnesotans have no health insurance, more than double the populations of the cities of Rochester and Duluth, combined
• Nearly 77,000 children in Minnesota are living without health insurance – and nine out of ten of those children have parents who work
• Nearly one million Minnesotans spend more than 10 percent of their incomes on health care, and a staggering 240,000 spend more than 25 percent of their incomes on health care
• Minnesota’s health care crisis now reaches into every geographic region of the state

Rising Health Care Costs Are Driving Many Families into Financial Ruin

Health care is an increasingly common cause of financial distress for American families. Half of all home foreclosures are due in part to a high medical bill, according to a recent study of the housing market in four states.iv Unpaid medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States.

Rising job losses in Minnesota paint a bleak health care picture for families in this state. A recent study by Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that a one percentage point rise in the national unemployment rate would add 1.1 million to the ranks of the uninsured nationwide. As job losses in Minnesota reach record levels, health care and steady wages are vanishing for hundreds of Minnesota families.

The Current Health Care Crisis is Harmful to Our Health

Widespread lack of affordable health care is bad for our health. More than half of people with inadequate health insurance – and two-thirds of those who are uninsured – skip needed medical care. Uninsured children are more than five times more likely to have a need for medical care go unmet. They are also more likely to develop eye and ear infections, viral sore throats, lead poisoning, serious dental problems, and chronic health conditions such as asthma and diabetes. No Minnesota child or adult should have to suffer from preventable or untreated medical conditions.