August 21, 2009 - MPR’s Jess Mador reports on how the health care debate continues to be contentious, with town hall meetings across the country devolving into shouting matches. Things were just as noisy but slightly more polite in Mankato, where hundreds of people packed a high school auditorium to participate in a town hall forum on health care sponsored by Congressman Tim Walz.
September 3, 2009 - Well, the State Fair put its H1N1 flu action plan to work today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health, schools and employers need to be similarly ready for the virus as the fall flu season takes hold. So, we asked our regular medical analyst, Dr. Jon Hallberg, to tell us what we all should prepare for this fall when it comes to H1N1 — and the seasonal flu.
September 7, 2009 - MPR’s Ambar Espinoza reports on a GOP State Fair Forum. The Republican gubernatorial candidates discussed various topics, including healthcare, taxes, and education.
September 9, 2009 - Morning Edition’s Cathy Wurzer chats via phone with Minnesota DFL Congressman about his latest visit to Afghanistan and the war effort there. Walz also discusses President Obama’s upcoming speech on healthcare debate.
September 9, 2009 - Tonight at 7:00, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress about his health care reform proposal. Obama is promising to offer more details about his vision for overhauling the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system. Minnesota Public Radio News will provide live coverage of the address. One of the people who will be in the audience tonight in Washington is Jeffrey Korsmo, the Executive Director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. He was invited to attend the speech by DFL Congressman Tim Walz. Korsmo says he's eager to hear more about Obama's plan. That is Jeffrey Korsmo, Executive Director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. He will be in the Capitol tonight when President Obama makes his health care reform speech.
September 26, 2009 - More than a thousand people rallied last night at a Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Congressman Ron Paul. reporter Jess Mador has more.
October 16, 2009 - Thirty-three thousand of the poorest Minnesotans may lose state health coverage sooner than expected. Earlier this year, Governor Tim Pawlenty cut the General Assistance Medical Care program, which provides coverage for adults without dependents who don't qualify for other healthcare assistance. The program was originally projected to end in March. But now estimates show funding may not last that long. Rupa Shenoy reports that has advocates scrambling to find another option.
October 16, 2009 - Negotiations continue in Washington on how to craft legislation that reforms health care and has enough support to pass. Earlier this week, a reform bill passed out of the Senate Finance Committee. It must now be reconciled with a substantially different health care bill that was approved in July by the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee. Joining us now with her take on how this is playing out is Minnesota's senior U.S. Senator, DFLer Amy Klobuchar.
December 3, 2009 - Archbishop John Neinstedt of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese supports that letter to Senators, but he's also careful to say he does support healthcare reform. In fact he's called it "one of the most important issues of our lifetime." In a telephone interview earlier today, I asked Archbishop Neinstedt about his approach to the health care dilema.
December 10, 2009 - Democrats in the U-S Senate appear to be moving toward a health reform bill that would not include a government-run "public option" insurance program. Under the tentative compromise, the federal government would instead negotiate with private insurers to provide non-profit health insurance plans. The compromise would also allow people aged 55 to 64 to "buy into" Medicare. But even if the Senate approves the deal, it would still need to be reconciled with the House-passed version of the bill, which includes a public option. Minnesota DFL Congressman Keith Ellison is an outspoken supporter of the public option, and he joins MPR’s Cathy Wurzer to discuss the subject.