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Farmers Union official says states can take lead on healthcare

A Farmers Union official says states can take the lead in dealing with the rising cost of healthcare.

Minnesota Farmers Union director of outreach Bruce Miller tells Brownfield the budget proposed by new Governor Tim Walz includes a plan to make health insurance more affordable for Minnesotans.

“Sometimes states need to lead. If the federal government can’t put it together, then states need to lead. And the high cost of health insurance is now the highest input costs that farmers have.”

He tells Brownfield farmers can’t afford to keep paying these high premiums and deductibles.

“$25,000, $35,000, $45,000 thousand dollars farmers are spending just to make sure theyre’ safe. It starts to sound like an auctioneer’s chant after awhile.”

Walz’s proposal creates a subsidy program to reduce premiums by 20 percent.

It also establishes a state-based tax credit ensuring no Minnesotan pays more than 10 percent of their income on healthcare, and introduces a statewide public buy-in option called ONECare Minnesota.