Letter to the editor: Role in health-care funding action explained

A recent letter asked about my role in the recovery of $73 million overpaid to private insurance companies by our state.

I am proud of my role in making this happen.

The recovery of $73 million wasn’t the result of the Legislature taking action on their own. Instead, public pressure on private health insurance companies and their highly-paid lobbyists helped spur action.

Dr. Feinwachs asked for help exposing the issue to the public. As a leader in an organization supporting health care reform, I jumped at the chance to make a difference. Collaborating with Dr. Feinwachs, we developed a strategy to recover these funds by raising awareness and holding insurers accountable. I led and participated in negotiations and public events to pressure these companies.

How did Minnesota get into this situation? Minnesota privatized our public health insurance programs, hoping to save money. Instead, insurance companies profited at the expense of patients, and their lobbyists blocked calls for transparency and accountability. I am proud of my community activism that strives to insure people, not profit.

Dr. Feinwachs and I agree: our work is not done. Minnesotans deserve a health care system where insurance companies no longer decide who is worthy of health care.

Ann Marie Metzger - Woodbury

Metzter, a Democrat, is running for House District 53B

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