Did the blanket search 'Minnesota' in diaries and didn't see this, so my apologies if it's a repeat.
Was reading the Minneapolis Star Tribune online (what a shock) and one of the stories is about a bill that has been introduced in the House and Senate mandating that all health insurance companies offer minimal health insurance.
More below, including why it's not quite 'Universal.'
First Paragraph:
Every Minnesotan would be required to have at least minimal health insurance and every insurer would have to offer such a plan under a far-ranging health care overhaul bill offered by the Minnesota Medical Association on Tuesday.
The way
the article words it is Minnesotans would be required to individually purchase their insurance rather than have the state provide it. So it's universal in that we'd all have to have it, but not universal in that we'd have to pay for it.
The bill has been introduced in both the House and Senate by different parties. In the Senate, it was Sen. Sheila Kiscaden, I-Rochester and in the House it was Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka.
The bill itself is also pretty vague. Here is the text on the Secure Benefit Set Design
The commissioners of health, human services, labor and industry, employee relations, corrections, commerce, and administration and the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association board of directors, in consultation with a panel of health care policy experts, shall define a secure benefit set that includes coverage for preventive health services, as specified in preventive services guidelines for children and adults developed by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement, prescription drug coverage, and catastrophic health coverage.
So at least the insurance would include prescription drug coverage, and catastrophic healthcare coverage. Unfortunately, there's absolutely no estimate of what this would cost the consumers.
The text of the bill can be read here.