Minnesota Health Care Reform

State Senator Mary Olson of Bemidji has serious concerns about health care reform legislation moving through the state legislature. She tells KLKS, she voted against a plan voted out of committee. The DFL-er says she does not support a three percent reduction in Medicaid payments to rural nursing homes and hospitals. She says any shortage would be passed along to the private sector, which increases the costs for everyone else and harms local economies. Senator Olson also does not like the reporting provisions in the legislation which she says would increase administrative costs. As a result, she will be voting for an amendment to keep some reform provisions and remove others which she claims are counter-productive.