Sen. Hann gave the above statements at a May 19, 2014, press conference.  There, he states that there had been no new sign ups through MNsure.

In June of 2014, MPR published an article on Minnesota’s rate of people without insurance dropped substantially due to the new health care law. Here’s a link to this article.

And, here’s a chart from that article:

Looks to us like reality shows that people without insurance got insurance in 2014.

David Hann · MNsure · number of uninsured · Sen. Hann · uninsured

This morning, DFL State Party Chair Ken Martin issued the following statement regarding Republican attempts to attack MNsure:

“Minnesota is ending the year with great news for residents: thanks to the success of MNsure, the rate of uninsured Minnesotans has fallen to a record low of 6.7 percent; and Minnesota’s unemployment rate has fallen to 3.7 percent, the lowest since May 2001.

“These accomplishments are thanks to the work of Gov. Mark Dayton, DFL legislators and everyone committed to building a better Minnesota. While Republicans have tried condemning MNsure and claiming Minnesota businesses are leaving the state in droves, these records show their rhetoric is way out of line with reality.

“Minnesota is on the right track. Hopefully the Republican-led House will work with Gov. Dayton and the DFL Senate to maintain this momentum and ensure all Minnesotans benefit from this time of economic prosperity.”

DFL State Party Chair · Ken Martin · MNsure · Republican rhetoric

In response to Sen. David Hann’s letter to the editor October 2, 2014, I have heard only good thing from people who I know using MNSure and are saving thousands of dollars. Is David Hann biased in his viewpoint since he works for a company that sells insurance?

I work in information technology and know that when implementing new and innovative systems, issues will arise. What ultimately determines success is having people on board who have the wherewithal to look for the best solutions to problems as opposed to just having “Negative Nellies” who are only good at complaining from the sidelines. I was shocked to learn that David Hann voted “No” a whopping 31 out of 32 votes in the past two years:  “No” to healthcare, “No” to women getting equal pay, “No” to cell phone kill switch, “No” to medical marijuana … He might say he didn’t like certain things about this or that detail, and that is expected, but Hann’s record is extreme … extremely negative.

In contrast, we are fortunate to have Gov. Mark Dayton and our Rep. Yvonne Selcer working for us to solve problems and make positive advances. I remember what the state of Minnesota was before they were elected, when David Hann was the assistant majority leader with Kirk Stensrud as our representative. We don’t want to return to those dar days.

Instead, we now have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, a budget surplus, and progress with wise education and infrastructure investments. Forbes recently upgraded Minnesota from Number 20 to 8 for “Best States for Business.”

We need our governor and representatives to continue moving forward in a positive, problem-solving manner. We don’t thrive when “Negative Nellies” lead the way. We need to re-elect Mark Dayton and Yvonne Selcer.

Tracy Johnson
Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie News, October 23, 2014

David Hann · Gov. Dayton · HD48A · House District 48A · Kirk Stensrud · Mark Dayton · MNsure · Rep. Selcer · Sen. Hann · Yvonne Selcer

In the fourth gubernatorial debate at Hamline University, Jeff Johnson continued his personal and desperate attacks in an effort to hide the fact that he has no positive solutions to improve Minnesota

Johnson also continued to reiterate misleading claims regarding the economy and job creation that have been debunked

With only 16 days left until Election Day, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson today made clear that he still has no plan to lead Minnesota. At today’s fourth gubernatorial debate at Hamline University, Johnson continued his personal and desperate attacks in an effort to hide the fact that he has no positive solutions to improve the state. Johnson also continued to reiterate misleading claims regarding the economy and job creation that have been debunked.

Economy

At today’s debate, Jeff Johnson again claimed that Minnesota’s economy is faltering and our state’s private sector is not strong.

Yet Johnson’s claims have already been labeled as ‘misleading’ by Minnesota Public Radio and the most recent data shows continued economic growth for Minnesota.

• “For painting an overly dismal picture of the state’s business climate, Johnson earns a misleading.” [MPR, 10/17/14]
• The most recent jobs report for Minnesota shows that the state has added 16,000 jobs in the last two months alone, and more than 170,000 jobs since Governor Dayton took office. At 4.1 percent, our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in eight years, and we are more than 50,000 jobs above our pre-recessionary peak. [WCCO, 10/16/14]
• Minnesota is one of only five states where unemployment is lower than it was when the recession started. [Washington Post, 10/10/14]

Johnson also continued to claim that 53 percent of Minnesotans are underemployed, but this number has also been called out for its limitations: (more…)

2014 economy · 2014 Minnesota Gubernatorial Debate · 24-7 Governor · Jeff Johnson · Minnesota Sex Offender Program · MNsure · Support the Middle Class · Tea Party

It’s been one year since the Affordable Care Act’s health care exchange opened giving millions of Americans access to quality affordable health care, many for the first time. And over the past 12 months one thing has become abundantly clear, the Affordable Care Act is working.

Take a look at just some of the ways the ACA is improving access to healthcare, and helping to grow the economy.

• More Americans insured – The number of uninsured Americans is down 26 percent, and hospitals have seen fewer admissions of uninsured patients so far in 2014.
• Lower out-of-pocket spending for American workers – The ACA has increased the number of workers with plans that cap their out of pocket spending. The percentage of covered workers that have plans with an out-of-pocket limit has increased from 82% in 2010 to 94 percent in 2014.
• Premium increases down – A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that the average premium for employer-provided family health coverage increased at a rate that tied for the lowest on record since the survey began in 1999. Research has shown that, between 2013 and 2014, premiums inside the marketplaces are hardly rising.
• Health care costs rising more slowly – The amount the U.S. spends on medical care through private and public insurance, and through individual out-of-pocket expenses is rising at historically low rates.
• Savings for hospitals – According to a recent report from the Department of Health and Human Services, hospitals are estimated to save $5.7 billion in uncompensated care costs in 2014.
• Reductions to the deficit – According to the CBO, the ACA’s coverage provisions will result in lower net costs to the federal government. In addition, the ACA is projected to reduce the deficit.

The Affordable Care Act is doing exactly what it set out to do – providing affordable coverage for millions of Americans and reducing health care costs for the country as a whole.

ACA · Affordable Care Act · MNsure · Obamacare