Sen. Franken’s field rep takes comments on health insurance

Whether you are a senior citizen, business owner, worker or government official, reform of the American health care system appears to be a top priority for you.

That was clear Tuesday when a range of people listed health care as something they want newly seated U.S. Sen. Al Franken to work on in Washington, D.C.

Franken field representative Charlie Poster visited Hutchinson City Center for two hours that day and took comments from many of the 25 or so people who attended. Health insurance was a recurring topic.

Poster was urged by retired Renville County farmer Wendell Bakken to help the dairy industry struggling with low milk prices. They prices are half of what they were a year ago, and are too low to cover costs. Struggling farmers are likely to drop their health insurance coverage.

“We really need to protect agriculture, the backbone of Minnesota,” added Clint Fall, president and CEO of First District Association in Litchfield, a major cheese processor and provider of milk to liquid milk processors.

While agreeing that self-employed workers, such as farmers, are likely to cut their health care insurance in bad times such as these, Falls said “we have to be sure health (care) reform doesn’t become a form of welfare.”

“As we travel the state, health insurance is the No. 1 concern,” Poster said. “We hear that wherever we go. We also hear about the milk prices.”

Read more of this story in the Leader’s July 30 print edition.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)