Closing the skills gap in the Phillips neighborhood
Our latest touts the success of workforce development strategies that link business-led, sector-specific economic development with career-oriented skills training for those most in need of good jobs.
Models for linking workforce development to targeted local economic development are popping up in Minnesota and around the country. And one of the best lessons from the recent past is offered in a published this week and authored by Mike Christenson, a Growth & Justice policy fellow and former director of community planning and economic development under Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
Beyond the Affordable Care Act: An Economic Analysis of a Unified System of Health Care for Minnesota
 As the nation marks the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a new shows that more fundamental reform at the state level could cover all Minnesotans and bring significant economic savings. These findings are based on an economic impacts study commissioned by Growth & Justice and conducted by The Lewin Group, a Virginia-based national health policy firm. The Lewin study shows that establishing a single statewide insurance program covering all Minnesotans would reduce state spending on health care by nearly 9 percent, compared to what would be spent under the ACA.
“Mounting evidence shows that universal health care access is good for people’s health and good for business health, and we know that nations with universal and unified systems pay less overall for health care and have healthier measurable outcomes,” said Growth & Justice president Dane Smith.
“As a health care provider, the treatment and care I provide should be based on the needs of the patient, not on their insurance card or the size of their bank account. A more rational and universal system is more humane, and it makes economic sense,” said Amy Lange, Growth & Justice policy fellow on health care.
Key points from the new report:
- Employers who currently offer insurance would save an average of $1,214 per employee annually. The average Minnesota family would save $1,238 per year.
- The proposed model could be financed with payroll taxes or income taxes, with or without the addition of taxes on tobacco or alcohol, instead of our current premium-based system.
- The single “insurer” could be the State of Minnesota or a designated nonprofit entity.
- All Minnesotans and their families would be permanently guaranteed high quality health care coverage.
- Employers and employees would benefit from portability of insurance: Health care considerations would be removed from both business hiring decisions and employee career choices.
Whole Towns Coming Together for All Students: A Growth & Justice Education Policy Report
Historical precedent is strong in rural and Greater Minnesota for vigorous and inclusive community involvement in educational success for all. Despite economic challenges and increasing racial diversity, evidence shows the effectiveness of community engagement and points to a revival in such activity across the nation. This new Growth & Justice report describes how many communities across Minnesota are coming together in purposeful and energetic ways to plan for greater success for all students.
Download the report:
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