A new attack produced by Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) falsely claims that Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson’s would allow “insurance companies” to “deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.”
“300,000 Minnesotans will lose their health insurance under Jeff Johnson, and insurance companies could deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions,” the ad states, featuring a Minnesota resident who was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
“I work hard. I pay my bills, and this is how Jeff Johnson wants to treat us? We cannot let Jeff Johnson become governor” she states in the ad.
Johnson later responded to the ad, labeling as false its claims that he would “end insurance coverage for Minnesotans” and would “no longer require that Minnesotans with pre-existing conditions be covered.”
“Both claims are blatant lies and are intended to cover up the fact that the DFL [Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party] candidate for governor wants to eliminate private health insurance and force all Minnesotans onto one government program,” Johnson’s campaign said in a statement.
Johnson himself criticized ABM for being “so dishonest about such an important issue to Minnesotans.”
“I’ve been consistently clear that Minnesota will always cover those with pre-existing conditions, just as we have for decades,” he said. “Unlike my opponent, though, I actually believe we should foster more competition and choice for those who pay for their own insurance to bring down the ridiculous premium hikes we’ve seen under MNSure.”
According to Johnson’s campaign website, the Republican wants to reinstate an “MCHA-style pool for those with pre-existing conditions, guaranteeing competitively-priced coverage for everyone in Minnesota—even those with pre-existing conditions.”
MCHA, which stands for Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association, was a state-based high-risk pool for those who did not have other health insurance options. The program went defunct after the Affordable Care Act was introduced, but in theory it removed high-risk individuals from the individual market, which in turn resulted in lower risk and thus lower premiums.
According to the American Public Health Association, at least 34 other states had similar programs as of 2017.
DFL candidate Tim Walz claims on his campaign website that he believes “that a single payer type system is on Minnesota’s horizons, but that immediate action needs to be taken to control costs and improve care.”
“Minnesotans don’t have to wait for the federal government to act,” his campaign agenda states. “We have a public health care option right now—MinnesotaCare—that delivers high quality care at a price Minnesotans can afford.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
