I believe that every Minnesotan should have access to high-quality, affordable health care.

Recent studies show that almost all Minnesotans agree on two fundamental principals:

(1) They want a responsive system where everyone gets the health care they need, and

(2) They want a privately-based health care system that offers as much choice as possible.

There is a big gap between what Minnesotans want and what the current system delivers.  Citizens and leaders from business, healthcare and government all agree that major change is needed.

As health care costs continue to escalate, it has become increasingly difficult for hard-working Minnesotans to afford even the most basic health insurance.  The average annual cost of health care for an average Minnesota household is about $11,000 – an amount that’s projected to double by 2010, if current trends continue. Real wages are not growing fast enough to absorb such cost increases.

Businesses are also being hit hard by increasing health care costs. In the past four years, insurance premiums have grown 3½ times faster than the state’s economy and workers’ wages. As health care costs continue to grow, employers have less money to spend on wage increases and other benefits for employees.

Rising health care costs are also breaking the back of state and local governments. The relentless rise in health care costs has forced the Minnesota Legislature to divert millions of dollars away from education, roads, and the environment.

Furthermore, Minnesota and the United States are not getting the best value for their health care dollars. The United States spends 50 percent more per capita than any other country on health care, but lags far behind other countries in the health measures of its population.  In simple terms, we spend more and get less.

Major change will take time and committed leadership.  Isolated, band-aid approaches will not have the lasting effects that Minnesotans expect and deserve.  Only by working together and building on existing efforts already underway will we get the job done and achieve needed healthcare reform.

An important early step in healthcare reform is for the Minnesota legislature to pass a constitutional amendment to establish healthcare as a basic right. The ongoing failure of our health care system to meet the needs of Minnesotans will not be resolved until we officially acknowledge that everyone deserves an opportunity to improve their health.

Greater consumer involvement in health care purchasing decisions, universal coverage and reduction of overhead and administration costs are among the many recommendations essential to reforming the health system.