“Working to relieve farms and businesses of high health care costs.”
Business and farm support for Minnesota Health Plan at COACT Farm Picnic
At COACT’s Farm Picnic on Sunday, August 17, nearly one hundred rural Minnesotans heard why farms and businesses need the Minnesota Health Plan for single-payer universal health care.
Thom Petersen of the Minnesota Farmers Union and Nancy Breymeier of the Metropolitan Independent Business Alliance spoke up for the Plan at the annual event, which, after 28 years, has become a tradition in the Central Minnesota farm community of Pierz. As folks lined up for dinner, they put on stickers saying “Minnesota Health Plan, YES, we can”.
Petersen told the Picnic audience that the Health Plan is needed to alleviate the high cost of health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays, which are among farmers’ worst cash flow problems. Breymeier, who was raised on a farm and operates a Twin Cities business, said city and rural businesses are equally hurt by rising insurance costs that have moved ahead of taxes as their biggest headache.
District 12 legislators Senator Paul Koering, Republican, and Representative Al Doty, DFL, addressed the issue and got the message to continue working in the legislature for the Plan’s enactment. Koering voted for the legislation in committee last session, and Doty is one of the bill’s 60 co-signers. Also speaking was Republican candidate Mike Lemieur who is contesting Doty for the 12B legislative seat, but did not state support for the bill. Other area co-signers of the bill are Representatives John Ward, DFL, 12A, and Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL, 11B.
During the weeks leading up to the Farm Picnic, COACT members visited 140 area businesses with Minnesota Health Plan handout cards which ask “should health insurance be the business of business?” Many business owners said they can no longer afford the high premiums and had to drop their coverage.
Submitted by Don Pylkkanen, COACT & MUHCC
