Testimony for Senate Committee on Health and Housing and Family

Chair: Senator John Marty

February 7, 2007

Good afternoon Mister Chair and Members of the Committee. I am Mary Heinen, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. I am here today on behalf of both the Minnesota Catholic Conference and the Catholic Health Association of Minnesota, of which I am currently President.  The Sisters of St. Joseph operate nine (9) St. Mary’s Health Clinics in the greater St. Paul and Minneapolis metropolitan area. The population we serve is the uninsured and underserved – among them the working poor, persons employed in small businesses who offer no insurance, persons between jobs, and persons whose COBRA benefits have run out.  I am here to testify today in support of Senate File 2, in its effort to provide health care coverage to more Minnesotans.

We believe healthcare is an essential safeguard of human life and dignity, and there is an obligation for society to ensure that every person be able to realize this right...If justice is a hallmark of our national community, then we must fulfill our obligations in justice to the poor and the unserved first and not last.

As members of this committee know all too well, being uninsured can have serious health consequences. The uninsured are often unable to get the primary and preventive care they need, such as regular screenings for colon cancer, mammograms, and regular visits with a primary care physician to maintain a health lifestyle.

The uninsured are less likely to get appropriate care when they seek it. The Institute of Medicine estimates that approximately 18,000 people die each year from diseases that are treatable and preventable, because they do not have health insurance. An even larger number of people suffer a low quality of life because they have not received consistent and proper health care.

I will speak to one positive area for example, which the bill addresses; that is the elimination of co-pays for General Assistance Medical Care. A specific part of the bill which we support is Section 21 which would eliminate the co-pays for certain items, including $25 for eyeglasses; $25 for non-emergency visits to a hospital-based emergency room; and $3 co-pay for prescription drugs and non-preventive visits up to $12 per month.  The $25 co-pay for eyeglasses and the co-pays for drugs seem particularly punitive and counterproductive. A person may need eyeglasses or a certain prescription drug to lead a more productive and positive life, which is a benefit to society in general. While this may not seem like a lot of money, when one has a limited income, $25 or even $3 is sometimes excessive.  In our St. Mary’s Health Clinics, patients we see without insurance are assisted in applying for General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). Because of low income – food, clothing, and shelter take priority over health care.

In summary, we of Minnesota Catholic Conference and Catholic Health Association of Minnesota believe affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life and a fundamental human right. We support health care that is affordable and accessible to all.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.