NEW USofCare POLL: 9-in-10 Minnesota Voters Support Hospital Transparency & Ownership Policies

Washington, D.C.  — Today, United States of Care Action released results from a survey of more than 500 registered voters in Minnesota. The survey, conducted in partnership with Digital Research, Inc., found that Minnesota voters are deeply concerned with the high costs of health care in the state, and that a large majority of Minnesota voters of all political affiliations are in support of government action to rein in rising prices. Further, a large majority of Minnesota voters (nine in ten) support government regulation of health care consolidation, including policies that would ensure transparency in hospital spending and ownership.

High hospital prices are a key driver of rising health care costs in Minnesota and across the country. Hospital charges are growing significantly faster than the overall inflation rate, and Minnesota’s hospitals consistently have higher median operating profit margins than the rest of the country. 

The barriers posed by these rising costs are reflected in the findings of the survey, with eight out of ten Minnesota voters agreeing that:

• The prices charged by hospitals in Minnesota are typically higher than they need to be.
• It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to affordable health care, even if that means regulating health care companies.
• The state government should play a more active role in regulating health care prices to stop large health systems from charging Minnesotans more than they need to.

The survey also gathered that voters in Minnesota broadly support policies that would address health care consolidation and the barriers it can cause, including:

• Ensuring transparency in hospital ownership (91%)
• Preventing corporate interests from controlling medical decisions of doctors (89%)
• Preventing profit goals from impacting medical care (84%)
• Ensuring transparency in hospital spending (86%)

Similarly, Minnesota voters are looking for their elected officials to implement these policies, with three out of four registered voters saying they would be more likely to support an elected official who voted to require increased financial transparency from hospitals, and four out of ten saying they would be much more likely to support such an official.

“Minnesota voters understand that hospital prices are rising to unjustified levels, and are ready for their elected officials to drive meaningful solutions forward,” said Caitlin Westerson, Senior Director of State Policy & Advocacy. “State policymakers should feel empowered to implement policy solutions that address health care affordability issues affecting their constituents knowing that Minnesotans are already on board.”

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