TakeAction Minnesota State on Passage of S.F. 1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 8, 2013
Contact: Greta Bergstrom, 651.336.6722, greta@takeactionminnesota.org

TAKEACTION MINNESOTA STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF S.F. 1 THROUGH MINNESOTA SENATE

St. Paul, MN – TakeAction Minnesota issued the following statement upon passage of S.F. 1 out of the Minnesota State Senate late Thursday night:

“Thousands of Minnesota individuals, families and small businesses are one step closer to affordable health coverage tonight, thanks to the passage of Senate File 1 and the leadership of Senator Tony Lourey.

“The Senate legislation puts people squarely at the center of the Minnesota Health Exchange. It would create a strong, consumer-friendly Health Insurance Exchange for Minnesota that would have a full set of tools to be able to strike a better deal for individuals and small business employers. The Exchange would be protected from financial conflicts of interest on the governing Board. And the legislation would allow Minnesota to meet coverage goals by building a strong community-based navigator system.”

“We applaud efforts by Senators in fending off amendment attempts that would have weakened financial conflicts of interest or tied the hands of Minnesota’s new Exchange, preventing it from negotiating better deals for consumers. The legislation passed remains consumer-focused to improve access, affordability and care for people across our state.”

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TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide people’s network of more than 14,000 individuals and 28 organizational members. We work collaboratively to raise the voices of Minnesotans in their own communities to advance social, racial and economic justice. www.TakeActionMinnesota.org