Physicians support single payer
by Elizabeth Frost
Southside Pride
published November 03, 08
I am a family practice doctor and work toward health care reform with a group called Physicians for a National Health Program. Recently I was able to meet with Minnesota Senator Linda Berglin about health care. I have a great deal of respect for Sen.Berglin because she has authored and ushered in Minnesota Care, which provides health insurance for many poor and working class residents, making Minnesota an excellent place to practice medicine.
However, Minnesota still has 400,000 people uninsured, and more than enough health horror stories. Private insurance is discriminatory by nature, which is why I support single payer health care: everybody covered all the time with one single plan. Currently there is an excellent bill in the Minnesota Legislature named the Minnesota Health Plan, sponsored by Senator John Marty. A full third of the house and senate signed on to the bill in its first year, but not Sen. Berglin.
My intention in meeting with Sen. Berglin was to ask her to sign on in support of single payer in Minnesota. She, however, informed me she had already voted for Sen. Marty’s bill, presumably during the bill’s first committee hearing on Feb. 18. I did not challenge her at the meeting because I assumed she would tell the truth, but reviewing the bill, I found that she had not. Later, by e-mail, Sen. Berglin admitted to me that she had not voted at all on Sen. Marty’s bill because she had left the room.
Sen. Berlin is a powerful leader in healthcare reform in Minnesota and I would like her to apologize for not telling me the truth. However, more than an apology I would like Sen.Marty’s bill to stand a chance in the Minnesota Senate in 2009. I would like Sen. Berglin in this coming year to put her money where her mouth is and to sign on to the Minnesota Health Plan, work with Sen. Marty to get it through committees, and rally other senators to support it.
Elizabeth Frost, M.D., is co-chair of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) Minnesota.