♪ ♪ >> Mary: WITH US NOW A COUPLE OF THE HOUSE MEMBERS WORKING TO SAVE HCMC.

WE HAVE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE DANNY NADEAU AND D.F.L.

REPRESENTATIVE ESTHER AGBAJE.

FIRST OF ALL, REPRESENTATIVE, WE JUST SAW YOUR BILL THERE IN TAX COMMITTEE.

EXPLAIN WHAT IT DOES.

>> SO THE BILL THAT I'M CARRYING IS ESSENTIALLY HENNEPIN COUNTY'S POSITION THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM THE AUTHORITY TO EXTEND THE BALLPARK TAX TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR HOSPITAL NEEDS AND SERVICES.

SO THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE CARRYING.

I THINK IT HELPS PULL THE PRESSURE OFF US TRYING TO FIND A CASH ALTERNATIVE TO IT, RIGHT?

BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S LONG-TERM, SUSTAINABLE FUNDING FOR HENNEPIN HEALTH CARE IN THE LONG-TERM.

>> REPRESENTATIVE NADEAU, WHAT ABOUT THAT SOURCE?

TAXES AND REPUBLICANS, THOSE TWO ISSUES MAYBE GET A LITTLE DICEY.

>> YEAH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR, IT'S COMING, WE'RE COMING OFF OF A LOT OF TAX INCREASES IN THE PAST, AND SO REPUBLICANS ARE A LITTLE BIT RETICENT TO LOOK AT THIS AS AN INITIAL, AS AN INITIAL OPTION.

THAT'S WHY A LOT OF US ARE ALSO, ESTHER AND I ARE WORKING ON OTHER OPTIONS.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING AT THE TABLE BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ASSET THAT THE STATE HAS.

IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO OUR HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM.

>> Mary: YOU NEED HIS VOTE SO WHAT ELSE IS ON THE TABLE TO TRY AND GET REPUBLICAN VOTES?

>> RIGHT, WELL, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPTIONS AS DANNY TALKED ABOUT.

WE HAVE SOME CASH OPTIONS THAT ARE SORT OF A HOSPITAL STABILIZATION FUND.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A SPECIFIC FUND TO HCMC TO HELP THEM STABILIZE.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS THAT MAYBE WE CAN USE MEDICARE ACCOUNTING INSTEAD TO BE THE FORMULA FOR CASH FUND.

BUT REALLY WE JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIND ANY RESOURCE THAT WE CAN TO SHOW THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE IN THIS TO LIKE HELP HCMC BUT THAT WE'RE IN IT FOR THE LONG-TERM.

WE DON'T WANT WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE HEALTH CARE IS TOP NOTCH FOR A LONG TIME.

>> WE ARE HEARING FROM A LOT OF LAWMAKERS OUTSIDE OF HENNEPIN COUNTY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS HOSPITAL SERVES THE REGION AND THE STATE, BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

HOW ARE YOU BEEN TALKING TO YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO ARE FROM RURAL MINNESOTA OR OUTSIDE THE METRO?

>> YEAH, AND THEY TRULY DO UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT, OF THAT TRAUMA ONE CENTER AND THE MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY -- THE MEDICAL TRAINING COMPONENT OF IT AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, 40% OF THOSE PATIENTS HCMC SEES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF HENNEPIN COUNTY AND JUST THE CAPACITY ALONE, IT'S 130,000 ENCOUNTERS PER YEAR THAT COME INTO HCMC USING THE HYPERBARIC CHAMBER, USING THE BURN CENTER, THE POISON CONTROL CENTER.

IT'S A REAL HUB AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY VITAL TO HENNEPIN, OR TO THE STATE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

>> AND I THINK PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE METRO FOUND THEY GET AIRLIFTED, THEY GET TRANSFERRED, EVEN IF YOU DON'T START AT HCMC THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIALTIES THAT YOU HAVE TO END UP THERE.

ARE PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT?

EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMEONE.

>> OH, DEFINITELY, YEAH.

WE'VE HEARD MULTIPLE STORIES FROM MEMBERS, FROM PHYSICIANS, FROM COUNTY OFFICIALS THAT EVERYONE COMES TO CMC PARTICULARLY IF YOU NEED SPECIALIZED CARE OR IF YOU NEED CARE THAT YOU JUST CAN'T GET AT THE LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE YOU LIVE.

>> HENNEPIN COUNTY IS A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC COUNTRY.

THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT AXPAYERS WHO HAVE BEEN KEEPING THIS AFLOAT.

TALK TO US ABOUT KEEPING TAXPAYERS HAPPY AND CREATING A STATE SOLUTION INSTEAD OF JUST A HENNEPIN COUNTY SOLUTION.

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, AND HENNEPIN IS, 20% OF THE POPULATION F THE STATE LIVES IN HENNEPIN COUNTY.

AND THEY JUST HAD A, I THINK IT WAS A SIX OR 7% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE LAST YEAR AND REMEMBER ONE LEVY POINT S ABOUT $10 MILLION IN HENNEPIN COUNTY.

SO HENNEPIN RESIDENTS ARE FEELING, JUST LIKE PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE, ARE FEELING THE SQUEEZE OF INFLATION AND HEALTH CARE COSTS RISING, AND SO I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE LEGISLATURE, NUMBER ONE TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN THIS ISSUE, NUMBER TWO, TO PROVIDE STABILITY, DEAL WITH THE CRITICAL COMPONENT THAT CMC IS DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS THAT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS FACING RIGHT NOW NOT JUST BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER, THE REAL THINGS, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT IMPACTS FROM HR1 COMING DOWN THE LINE AND THOSE ARE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS FOR THE STATE TO DEAL WITH.

>> YEAH, THE GOVERNOR BLAMED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE SITUATION.

IS THAT FAIR?

>> I MEAN, I THINK THEY DEFINITELY TAKE PART OF THE BLAME BUT AT THE SAME TIME THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES IS IN DIRE STRAITS.

AND SO WHEREVER YOU WANT TO TRY TO PINPOINT HAT, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE OMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE F ACROSS THIS COUNTRY OTHERWISE MORE HOSPITALS LIKE HCMC ARE LIKELY TO FACE POTENTIAL CLOSINGINGS.

>> Mary: AND WHAT DO YOU SEE BETWEEN THE FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY AND STATE ON THIS?

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CREATED THIS CRISIS?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK I MEAN WITH THE FEDS WHAT THEY'RE DOING NOW IS THEY'RE BASICALLY PUTTING WORKFORCE RESTRICTIONS ON, THEY'RE TRIMMING BACK THE LOOKBACK REQUIREMENTS BUT ONCE AGAIN IT'S THE MEDICAID RATES, I MEAN, WE'RE PAYING, OUR MEDICAID RATE, PEOPLE THAT ARE ON OUR PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS, MEDICAID, MINNESOTACARE, OUR HOSPITALS AND PROVIDERS ARE BEING PAID LESS THAN THE COST OF CARE AND SO THAT'S A STATE AND A FEDERAL SHARED, YOU KNOW, ISSUE.

SO THESE ARE BIG LONG-TERM ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

HCMC IS LITERALLY THE ACUTE THING RIGHT NOW, BUT REPRESENTATIVE AGBAJE IS RIGHT, EVERY HOSPITAL IS GOING TO BE FACING A LOT OF THESE SIMILAR ISSUES, AND THIS I THINK WILL HOPEFULLY BE AN XAMPLE OF A WAY THAT WE CAN SHOW HOW TO FIX THIS.

>> Mary: THIS WAS NOT ON ANYONE'S BINGO CARD OR TOP THREE HEADING INTO SESSION.

IT SEEMS LIKE NOW IN THE FINAL TEN DAYS THIS IS ALMOST TOP OF THE LIST TO GET DONE?

>> YES, IT IS DEFINITELY TOP OF THE LIST TO GET DONE.

I THINK WE CANNOT WALK OUT OF HERE WITHOUT A SOLUTION FOR HCMC.

>> Mary: BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, DO YOU THINK THIS HAS RISEN TO THE TOP?

>> I DO, THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT.

IT'S NOT IF, IT'S HOW.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BUT, NO, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO I THINK, I THINK IT'S VERY BIPARTISANLY SUPER IMPORTANT.

>> Mary: AND IN THIS CHAMBER IT HAS TO BE BIPARTISAN.

HOW IS IT GOING WORKING TOGETHER, WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE?

>> I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING WELL TOGETHER.

WE'VE BEEN IN A TON OF MEETINGS, WE'VE BEEN SHARING DRAFTS BACK AND FORTH AND WE TALK TO EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THIS PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE KIND OF LEADING THE WAY FOR THE REST OF OUR COLLEAGUES.

>> Mary: COULD THIS BE A TEMPLATE FOR OTHER ISSUES?

YOU'RE MOVING QUICKLY, SESSION'S WINDING DOWN, T'S BIPARTISAN.

YOU'RE JUST KIND OF CUTTING THROUGH ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, CROWD ON THIS.

>> I SURE HOPE IT IS.

THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT DIVIDE US BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WHEN WE DO COME TOGETHER AND WE HAVEN'T BURNED BRIDGES IN THE PAST IT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO WORK TOGETHER.

AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CARE ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU CAN FIND PATHS THROUGH.

YOU JUST HAVE TO ORK HARD AT IT.

>> Mary: IS THERE TIME IN THE LAST TEN DAYS FOR THIS TO GET DONE AND OTHER ISSUES?

>> THERE'S ALWAYS TIME, UNTIL THAT FINAL GAVEL BANGS THERE'S ALWAYS TIME.

>> Mary: SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

>> WE KEEP WORKING.

WE KEEP BUILDING SUPPORT, WE KEEP IDENTIFYING ALL THOSE BARRIERS THAT ARE KEEPING US FROM GETTING THIS DONE AND HOPEFULLY WE GET HERE.

>> Mary: AND COMMITTEE WORK, IN PUBLIC, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, DOES THIS GO UP TO LEADERSHIP, GET LINKED TO OTHER THINGS?

>> I THINK IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR THIS SO EVERYONE IS PUTTING THEIR INPUT ON THIS AND EVERYONE IS DOING THE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A SOLUTION.

>> Mary: AND WHAT DO YOU SEE ON THAT?

>> ON WHAT?

>> Mary: ON IF THIS GETS DONE IN TIME.

>> OH, WE'LL GET DONE ON TIME.

I'M VERY, VERY, VERY