Despite of the receipt of federal funding to assist in the set-up of an insurance exchange program, the Minnesota legislature is not cooperating with the Governor Drayton's plans to design a program. Instead, in a classic example of partisan politics, the legislature is going forward with its own plans to design an exchange program. In doing so, the legislature is placing the State of Minnesota in a position of possibly losing the grant provided by the federal government. According to the grant provisions, the state must show it can operate an effective exchange program by the end of calendar year 2012 or the federal government under the terms of ACA will impose a one size fits all exchange on the state. Even the state's most conservative political groups oppose this happening and advocate that the state's executive and legislative branches cooperate in formulating an acceptable state exchange program.

The effect of this political wrangling has created a feeling of uncertainty regarding health care in the State of Minnesota. Although the state has been aggressive in its attempts to address health care concerns, the affective result has not been much different than the rest of the nation. In Minnesota, a significant percentage of Minnesotans lack health insurance coverage; a significant number of individuals have no access to medical treatment; and the entire population must face spiraling health care costs. These problems compound each other. As medical care becomes more expensive, obtaining health insurance becomes less affordable. The dilemma is that covering everyone will increase costs for taxpayers and people who already have coverage. Herein, is the problem that confronts the health care situation in Minnesota and elsewhere.

On a daily basis, the present health care situation does not affect most health professionals. Patients still need treatment and for most health care professionals that is their only concern. Unfortunately, the larger picture demands radical change.

The log jam that has developed in the State of Minnesota regarding health insurance and the availability of health care services is not unlike the situation that presently exists on...

A resolution of the ACA debate will go a long way toward resolving matters on the state wide level but, in the meantime, Minnesota legislators and the executive could make matters easier by addressing health care concerns as they relate to situation in Minnesota. The political posturing that has caused the cessation of the benefits garnered by the GAMC program, made it more difficult to implement the changes suggested by the 2008 Health Care Reform Act, and made the implementation of an effective insurance exchange program impossible, must be tempered. To date, in the State of Minnesota and nationally, the debate over health care has been divided upon party lines. In order for effective health care reform to be successful a bipartisan alliance must be organized. If the present situation reveals anything, it is that there is little chance for change as long as the issue of health care remains a political volleyball. The issue must be transformed into a public policy concern that is not determined on party lines. Practicing health care professionals are not concerned with how or who pay for services only that they are paid. Unfortunately, this may soon become a serious problem if something is not done to both minimize the spiraling cost of medical care and the availability of health insurance. Both problems may soon cripple the health care system. Efforts have been made to address these problems but political ideology has stymied these efforts. With luck, this impasse may soon be overcome and effective change will be possible.
Works Cited

Berkel, Jessica Van. "HCMC fights back against Pawlenty's GAMC Cuts." 3 December 2009. Minnesota Daily . http://www.mndaily.com/2009/12/03/hcmc-fights-back-against-pawlenty%E2%80%99s-gmac-cuts. 7 April 2012.

Gray, Virginia. "Incrementing Toward Nowhere: Universal Health Care Coveragein the States." Publius (2010): 82-113.

Harrington, Scott E. "The Health Insurance Reform Debate." The Journal of Risk and Insurance (2010): 5-38.

Minnesota Department of Human Services. "General Assistance Medical Care." 11 September 2011. http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION&RevisionSelectionMethod=LatestReleased&Redirected=true&dDocName=id_006257. 7 April 2012.

Health Care Reform