State Representative David Bly, MN District 25B

Monday evening I met with several voters and talked about their experiences with the health care system.  They described a system that at best is uneven.  On the one hand, those who had encountered the services of the Mayo Clinic raved about service and before and after care.  Their use of technology in record keeping gave instant record access to Doctors and nurses, reducing the likelihood of a treatment error, and made communication of records and treatment smooth and timely.However, services rendered in almost every other facility fell far short of this.  Records were lost or could not be found, making it difficult for efficient and safe transfers of care.  Mistakes with costly results can be made with the prescribing of medicine or application of treatments if complete medical history and treatment plans are not available.

There were stories of missed diagnosis and continued suffering because, while medical staff may be hard working and dedicated, they did not have complete information.  Numerous instances of elderly relatives who could not take care of their own health needs were put in the hands of relatives with little or no health care experience.  Having to make decisions about life-changing plans is hard when you don’t feel you have adequate help or guidance.  Once again those who were lucky enough to have used the Mayo system found they were treated differently and given more than adequate guidance and help.

In addition to these concerns, citizens were very concerned about the rising cost of insurance and the limited access some of their children and grandchildren find when transitioning from dependency to life on their own.  This is even more complicated when the young person has real health or mental health care needs.  In fact, the full range of Mental Health services seems in a state of disarray.  In the move away from institutionalizing the mentally ill, we now find ourselves, according to these citizens, in a situation where beds for mental treatment are almost unavailable.

All expressed concerns about the growing trend toward Health Savings Accounts.  These plans may help employers and some employees who are not at high risk for health needs, but less obvious effects of these plans will hurt others.  As some choose Health Savings Accounts, this will take more money out of the insurance system, causing rates for basic care to go up.  The most vulnerable will be hurt the most.  One citizen remarked that a recent letter in the American Medical News by Dr. Everest Whited from Pflugerville, TX stated he was having a difficult time collecting from patients on HSAs who were used to an insurance company handling their bills.

The security of good health care is something all Minnesotans want.  Many feel increasingly anxious about this as they see their ability to pay for insurance diminished.  I will work to see that all Minnesotans have access to adequate health care and set aside the horrible anxiety of what will happen to them and their relatives as they make their way through the challenging stages of life.