Health Care Reform

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Healing Greed, Health Care Reform, Home, Legislative Policy, Mayo, Nonprofit, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 26, 2024 – A new study released today by the Lown Institute, an independent healthcare think tank, finds that 90 percent of Minnesota nonprofit hospitals give back less to their communities than they receive in tax breaks, with Mayo Clinic singled out as among the worst offenders in the nation. This ranks Minnesota among the 10 worst states in the nation for the share of hospitals who avoid their obligations to communities, while states like Texas and Mississippi lead the nation.
… Read more about: Minnesota hospitals ranked among 10 worst in the nation for community spending  »

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Events, Healing Greed, Health Care Reform, Home, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Press Releases

Planned closures of ICU, surgery services, and pediatric inpatient beds at Mercy Hospital and Unity Campus follow a pattern of corporate priorities by Allina executives   

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 25, 2024 – Tomorrow, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will join patients, community members, and other healthcare providers and workers to speak out on the devastating impacts of the planned corporate closures by Allina executives at Mercy Hospital and Unity Campus.
… Read more about: Nurses, other healthcare providers and workers, patients to testify in public hearing on impact of Allina corporate closures  »

On:
In: Health Care Reform

MNA nurses have been stretched thin this during this pandemic. From employers failing to provide PPE or adequate levels of PPE, nurses know that they must take their advocacy beyond the bedside and to the public. Concurrently, nurses are witnessing the failures of our broken healthcare system in terms of racial disparities and access to care for many of Minnesota’s low-income residents. On Wednesday, August 5th, Bethesda hospital RN, Stella Obadiya, made the case in front of the Saint Paul City Council to support a resolution calling for the enactment of the Minnesota Health Plan and Medicare for All.

Bethesda and St. Joe’s were facing potential closure prior to the start of the pandemic.
… Read more about: St. Paul Passes Resolution for the MN Health Plan and Medicare for All Act  »

On:
In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Single Payer

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

 

According to a new report, hospital prices went up even though usage of healthcare actually went down.  Sadly, the takeaway shows that what a patient pays for healthcare determines how much they’re able to seek care and actually be healthy.  The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) report, “Healthy Marketplace Index,” analyzed more than 1.8 billion commercial claims from 2012 to 2016, HCCI’s report shows commercial healthcare prices increased by 13 percent (almost 3 times faster than inflation) while utilization of services dropped 17 percent nationwide.

 

It’s not just what healthcare costs that matters either. 
… Read more about: Hospital Prices Rise But Hospital Admits Drop  »

On:
In: Bernie Sanders, Health Care Reform, Home, Single Payer

By Geri Katz

MNA Healthcare Reform Specialist

These are exciting times for those of us who believe healthcare is a basic need for every person, and no one should go bankrupt because they had the bad luck to get sick.

Healthcare was the number one issue for voters in November. Candidates across the country ran and won on a platform of Medicare for All. Prospective 2020 presidential candidates are signaling their support. Public opinion polls consistently show a majority of Americans – including a majority of Republicans, according to this poll – support Medicare for All.

MNA nurses and many of your fellow front-line healthcare professionals have long supported moving to a system that:

  • guarantees healthcare (not insurance) for every American, including prescriptions, dental and vision;
  • costs far less for Americans than they’re currently paying in premiums, deductibles, and co-pays;
  • makes the system simpler for patients and providers and lets people focus on their health instead of their bills.

    • … Read more about: Medicare for All Bill Lives Again!  »

big pharma

On:
In: Health Care Reform, Home, Hospitals, Nonprofit

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

The vast majority of hospitals in Minnesota operate as not-for-profit organizations, which means they are exempt from most local, state, and federal taxes. This privileged tax status is meant to be an acknowledgement of the “community benefits” they provide. However, the definition of community benefit is loose, and guidelines on appropriate levels of community benefit spending are sparse both federally and at the state level.

In Minnesota, there is no law that specifically requires not-for-profit hospitals to provide measurable community benefits.[1] There is, however, a state level reporting requirement on community benefit spending that has existed since 2007.
… Read more about: What is Community Benefit Spending And Why Does It Matter for Not-For-Profit Hospitals?  »

On:
In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Home, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(Minneapolis) – June 21, 2018 – Hundreds of activists from throughout the U.S. are marching for healthcare that serves patients, not insurance company profits, in downtown Minneapolis on June 22.

They are calling on the U.S. to replace the current broken healthcare system with improved and expanded Medicare for All, which would ensure all Americans receive quality, affordable healthcare.

The march begins outside the Radisson Blu at 35 S 7th St.
… Read more about: Press Release: Activists March for Guaranteed Healthcare in Downtown Minneapolis June 22  »

big pharma

On:
In: Drug Prices, Health Care Reform, Home, Issues, Single Payer

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

It’s no secret that the cost of healthcare is skyrocketing in the United States. What is less obvious are the reasons driving these increases. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), “U.S. health care spending increased 4.3 percent to reach $3.3 trillion, or $10,348 per person in 2016”[1]. Hospital spending accounts for 32 percent of costs while spending on prescription drugs accounts for 10 percent. Although many factors contribute to constant increases in cost of care, pharmaceutical and medical waste are culprits that could be easily addressed, yet remain a significant problem for many patients, nursing homes, and hospitals. 
… Read more about: Medical Waste and the Rising Cost of Healthcare  »

On:
In: Fairview, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Nonprofit, Nurses

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

 

Something that still manages to shock a lot of people in the US is the growing number of similarities between nonprofits and for-profit hospitals. In 2013, 7 of the 10 most profitable hospitals in the country were classified as nonprofit. A 2013 study published in Health Affairs, examined factors contributing to hospital profitability. The study examined data from Medicare Cost Reports submitted by 2,993 acute care hospitals and produced a list of the top ten hospitals in the country with the highest profit from patient care (for fiscal year 2013).
… Read more about: Your Guide to the World of Nonprofit Finance-part 1  »

On:
In: Health Care Reform, HMO, Home, Hospitals, Politics

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

Minnesota is a unique state in many ways. For example, the infamous “Duck Duck Gray Duck” versus “Duck Duck Goose” debate still confuses this native Michigander. The healthcare landscape in Minnesota mirrors this individuality. Unlike a vast portion of the country, Minnesota has relatively few for-profit hospitals (2 out of 145 hospitals statewide). Having experienced the impact of a for-profit takeover first-hand on my home city of Detroit, it is evident that Minnesota’s public and nonprofit hospitals are worth protecting.

In 2011, the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), a 7-hospital system in Detroit, Michigan was purchased by for-profit Vanguard Health.
… Read more about: Keep for-profit out of Minnesota: Lessons from Michigan  »