Democrats push to let all residents buy into MinnesotaCare

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Lawmakers have gone to work on a proposal to allow all residents to buy into the state-run MinnesotaCare health insurance program, not just low-income workers struggling to get by.

Democratic legislators and Gov. Tim Walz have been pushing for several years to expand MinnesotaCare into a low-cost “public option” for health insurance that would be available to everyone.

Now that Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature, expanding the program is one of their top priorities for the session. The bill got its first hearing Wednesday but has a long path to becoming law. Republicans and business groups are urging a go-slow approach.