LOWER COSTS FOR HEALTHCARE AND
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL
BENEFIT.
FUTURE HEALTHCARE POLICIES IS
ALSO EXPECTED TO DOMINATE 2018
ELECTIONS INCLUDING THE RACE
FOR MINNESOTA GOVERNOR.
IN A CROWDED FIELD OF SIX
ANNOUNCED DFL CANDIDATES, ONE
CANDIDATE APPEARS TO BE MAKING
A CLEAR PLAY TO LOCK DOWN
PROGRESSIVE SUPPORTERS, REBECCA
OTTO PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICY THAT INCLUDES A TAX ON
CARBON EMISSIONS AND SHE IS
CALLING FOR UNIVERSAL
HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
STATE AUDITOR AND DFL CANDIDATE
FOR GOVERNOR REBECCA OTTO JOINS
US NOW.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU.
LAST YEAR IN THE MINNESOTA
CAUCUSES, BERNIE SANDERS
CRUSHED HILLARY CLINTON MORE
THAN 20 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
ARE YOU GOING DOWN THAT LINE
AND TRYING TO LOCK DOWN PEOPLE
WHO SUPPORTED MR. SANDERS?
HERE'S WHAT I'M WORKING ON.
I'M WORKING ON AN AGENDA THAT
WILL BE MEANINGFUL FOR ALL
MINNESOTANS STATEWIDE.
IN MY -- AND MY POLICIES ARE
INFORMED BY A LISTENING TOUR
THAT I LAUNCHED IN JANUARY.
I LAUNCHED A LISTENING TOUR
WHEN I TOLD PEOPLE I WAS
RUNNING AND AS I TRAVELED THE
STATE IN ALL COMMUNITIES THERE
WERE CERTAIN THEMES THAT CAME
UP AND SO MY AGENDA IS GETTING
AT THE THEMES AND THE CONCERNS
AND PEOPLE'S HOPES AND DREAMS
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE
AND CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE
MADE WHICH WILL IMPROVE OUR
LIVES.
SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE AREA
OF HEALTHCARE, SO MUCH
UNCERTAINTY, THE PRESIDENT'S
ANNOUNCEMENT JUST IN THE PAST
FEW DAYS.
YOUR UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE PLAN
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, NO
PREMIUMS, NO DEDUCTIBLES,
EVERYONE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO
BASIC HEALTHCARE COVERAGE.
SOUNDS GREAT.
HOW IS IT GOING TO WORK, WHO IS
GOING TO PAY FOR IT AND HOW ARE
YOU GOING TO GET BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT FOR IT?
I'LL TELL YOU WHY I'M REALLY
HOPEFUL, BECAUSE WHEN I HAVE
REPUBLICANS TELLING ME THEY
WANT SINGLE PAIR AND I HAD A
GENTLEMAN WHO IS A THREE
GENERATION BUSINESSMAN.
THE TIME IS NOW, WE ARE AT A
WATERSHED MOMENT AND PRESIDENT
TRUMP CONTINUES TO HIGHLIGHT
THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE HEALTHCARE
INSECURITY NOW AND IT'S TIED TO
YOUR JOB AND WE ARE PAYING MORE
THAN WE NEED TO.
AND SO MY PLAN, YES, IT DOES
ALL THAT.
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO
IS GET WAIVERS FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ALL THE
EXISTING HEALTHCARE FUNDS AND
PUT THEM INTO ONE BIG FUND
THAT'S PROTECTED AND THEN WE
ARE GOING TO LEVERAGE THE GOOD
THINGS IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
WITH OUR PROVIDERS AND WE ARE
GOING TO TURN THE SYSTEM ON ITS
HEAD BECAUSE WE ARE BASICALLY
GOING TO PUT THE PATIENT AND
PROVIDER BACK IN THE CENTER OF
HEALTHCARE, SO YOU GET TO
CHOOSE WHO YOU WANT TO GO TO
AND THEY ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON
HEALTH OUTCOMES AND WE ARE
GOING TO GET RID A LOT OF THE
CODING AND BILLING AND A LOT OF
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.
WE CAN SQUEEZE INEFFICIENCY OUT
OF THE SYSTEM.
IT WOULD BE BEST IF THEY
COMBINE THE PROGRAMS OF THE --
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
I DON'T HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN
THE FEDERAL LEVEL OF GETTING
ANYTHING DONE RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT.
ISN'T THIS GOING TO REQUIRE A
TAX INCREASE?
IF YOU TAKE THE DIVISION --
YOU SUGGESTED IT HAS.
IF YOU TAKE THE EXISTING
HEALTHCARE DOLLARS, ALL THE
PUBLIC FUNDS WHICH IS ACTUALLY
QUITE A BIT OF THE SYSTEM, OUR
SYSTEM HAS BEEN EVOLVING FOR
SOME TIME AND THEN YOU TAKE --
THERE'S EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE
THEIR OWN PLANS AND THEY HAVE
DOLLARS THEY ARE SPENDING.
PUT ALL THOSE DOLLARS INTO ONE
PLACE AND THEN A SMALL BIT OF
OUR POPULATION THAT HAS BEEN
BUYING PRIVATE INSURANCE, SO
IT'S TAKING WHAT WE ARE
SPENDING AND DOING A MUCH,
MUCH, MUCH BETTER JOB SQUEEZING
OUT THE INEFFICIENCY, SQUEEZING
OUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE BURDENS
AND MOVING AWAY FROM FEE FOR
SERVICE TO A FEE PER ENROLLEE
AND OUR PROVIDERS ARE FOCUSING
ON KEEPING US HEALTHY, NOT ON
PROCEDURES.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR
ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN.
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
MANUFACTURERS SAYS THAT A PLAN
SUCH AS YOURS THAT WOULD TAX
CARBON EMISSIONS WOULD RESULT
IN AN INCREASE IN 20 CENTS A
GALLON FOR A GALLON OF GAS, 40%
MORE IN THE COST OF NATURAL GAS
AND 5% MORE FOR ELECTRICITY.
IS THAT A PLAN PEOPLE CAN
AFFORD?
THAT'S AN INTERESTING -- I
HAVEN'T SEEN THAT PARTICULAR
CLAIM.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS, IS THAT
WE HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THIS
PLAN VERY CAREFULLY AND WE ARE
GOING TO PLACE A PRICE ON
CARBON, IT'S NOT A TAX.
WE ARE NOT TAKING MONEY OUT OF
THE ECONOMY.
IT'S REVENUE NEUTRAL, AND WE
ARE GOING TO EMPOWER ALL
MINNESOTANS TO CHANGE WHAT THEY
ARE DOING AND TO TAKE CHARGE OF
THEIR ENERGY FUTURE AND THAT WE
ARE GOING TO USE FREE FUEL
FOREVER.
THE SUN IS FREE, WE ARE NOT
RELYING ON MIDDLE EAST AND
LETTING THEM JACK AROUND PRICES
SO IT'S REALLY, IT'S ALLOWING
RESIDENTS, WHETHER YOU'RE IN AN
APARTMENT BUILDING OR A HOME TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOLAR,
WHETHER IT'S A SOLAR GARDEN OR
SOMETHING ON YOUR ROOF, TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF HEAT PUMPS WHICH
ARE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND THE
ECONOMY IS ALREADY GOING THIS
WAY AND SO, YES, COULD THE
PRICE OF FUEL GO UP?
ABSOLUTELY BUT WE ARE GOING TO
EMPOWER MINNESOTANS AWAY FROM
USING THOSE FUELS.
IF YOU DO NOT GET THE DFL
ENDORSEMENT AT THE NOMINATING
CONVENTION, WILL YOU DROP OUT?
MY PLAN IS TO ABIDE BY THE
ENDORSEMENT AND I'M WORKING
HARD FOR IT.