Letter about the need for new leadership

To the Editor,

As the August Primaries draw near, I am reminded that we are in an election year. Given that the primary is on the 14th, I decided that it’s time to see if any of the issues that were present in 2016 have been fixed. After all, if all, or at least the biggest concerns, have been fixed, then there is no reason to change leadership. However, my biggest concern hasn’t been fixed, it has only gotten worse. That issue is healthcare costs. In 2016, one of my main concerns was the rising costs of healthcare premiums. Our current Representative, in all fairness, did try to bring down costs. And yet, even after the insurance companies got hundreds of millions of dollars in a “reinsurance” deal, costs haven’t gone down. They have continued to rise. That’s why I support new leadership. That’s why I support Thomas Trehus. Thomas has a new plan to reduce healthcare costs. He wants to let every Minnesotan buy into MNCare, if they so choose. This would lower costs for many people. The reason it will is that MNCare is much more efficient. Given that it is a government program, MNCare doesn’t need to make profits for any CEOs or shareholders. Because of this, they can lower their premiums. If I could pay less by buying into MNCare, I would. Given that, over the last decade, premiums have continued to rise, I think it’s time for a new path. In our district, we pay the highest health insurance premiums. We need to bring these costs down, and Thomas is just the guy to do that.

Stephen Hadaway

Spring Grove, Minn.