Hatch’s Health Care Vision

08/20/2006

By IanChristy
Posted on Wed Aug 16th, 2006

DFL-endorsed Gubenatorial candidate Mike Hatch has outlined his vision to provide universal health insurance to Minnesotans without raising taxes. Hatch’s plan would focus on reducing administrative costs, which account for forty percent of what Americans pay for health insurance, Hatch stated in a speech at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute, according to the Minnesota Daily.

Hatch speaks from experience.  As Attorney General for eight years, he has collected information detailing wasteful spending by some of Minnesota’s leading health providers.  Hatch’s idea is even being coopted by Governor Pawlenty, who evidently has concluded that it’s too good for partisan spin:

“While we may disagree on some of the details, Governor (Tim) Pawlenty has previously identified many of the same goals as the attorney general talked about today,” he said, according to the Minnesota Daily.

The difference between Pawlenty and Hatch is that the former has had four years to fix the health care crisis, and during his tenure health costs rose while the number of uninsured Minnesotans increased by 66,000 since 2000. 

Pawlenty’s sudden acknowledgement that he shares Hatch’s goals on health care is too little, too late for Minnesota. 

Minnesotans deserve a governor who doesn’t have to be prodded by the opposition to recognize problems and find
solutions.