What we accomplished in 2019: health and human services
Health and Human Services is the not just the fastest growing area of the state budget, it’s also the most bloated. The budget we passed this year keeps our commitment to vulnerable Minnesotans while taking a more emphatic approach to finding savings and eliminating fraud and abuse.
Mental health support
Every year, about 20% of Minnesotans face mental illness. About 1 in 25 struggle with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It’s highly likely you know someone experiencing a mental health problem, even if you aren’t aware of it.
For a long time, these individuals were stigmatized. Thankfully, more and more people finally recognize that mental illnesses require treatment and care, just like diabetes, heart disease, or traumatic brain injuries.
Republicans have always prioritized mental health support. This year, we again demanded – and won – more resources to help Minnesotans of all ages, locations, and professions receive the mental health treatment they need.
Waste and fraud at the Dept. of Human Services
Minnesota’s child care assistance program is a mess. More than half of CCAP funding could be subject to fraud, according to an investigator in charge of the program. We demanded stronger oversight measures and stricter reporting requirements to begin restoring integrity to the program. It’s a good start, but we are far from done. We will use every possible tool to guarantee DHS cleans up child care assistance fraud.
CCAP barely scratches the surface of problems at DHS. In just the last few years, the agency failed to collect $30 million in unpaid MinnesotaCare debt, errors within the agency have wasted more than $200 million, and Medical Assistance enrollees were receiving benefits they were not eligible for.
Minnesotans are generous with their support for the disadvantaged, but we don’t like being played for fools. We created a Blue Ribbon Panel tasked specifically with eliminating waste and finding savings within DHS.
On August 13, the Senate health care committee summoned acting Human Services Commissioner Pam Wheelock to testify about the problems at her department. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn much – she delayed, stalled, and refused to give specific answers. Alarmingly, at one point she said there is “no scandal, no chaos” at DHS – a claim so ludicrous you wonder if she really believes it.
Insulin and prescription drugs
This year Senate Republicans took dramatic steps to lower the cost of all prescriptions, including insulin. We clamped down on pharmacy middlemen that are responsible for rising prices and required pharmacies to provide emergency access to insulin and other life-saving drugs.
In addition, since session ended two major insurers – Medica and UCare – announced they will cap out-of-pocket insulin prices at $25 per month. This is a fantastic decision that will potentially save countless lives. I will encourage every insurer follows their lead.
As always, if you have any questions about what we did for health and human services, or any other budget area, please feel free to contact me any time. My office phone number is 651-296-0284, and my email is sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn