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By demonizing pleasure, we set ourselves up for unfulfilling sex lives.
Opinion: Let’s talk about sex
Published March 27, 2024

Pawlenty and Gingrich talk healthcare at U

They discussed how to reform healthcare in Minnesota and nationally.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks about the future of healthcare Wednesday at the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center.
Image by Matt Mead
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talks about the future of healthcare Wednesday at the University of Minnesota’s McNamara Alumni Center.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich talked about the future of healthcare Wednesday at the University of MinnesotaâÄôs McNamara Alumni Center. They spoke to an audience of about 150 at a workshop titled âÄúCreating a 21st Century Intelligent Health System in Minnesota,âÄù hosted by the Center for Health Information. Pawlenty called the nationâÄôs healthcare system âÄúfundamentally broken,âÄù and said reform should come through consumers paying for quality of care, and correcting medical malpractice. Both speakers critiqued the 1,000 page proposal released by the Obama Administration Tuesday, which would reduce the number of uninsured by 37 million and cost about $1 trillion dollars over 10 years. Pawlenty said if national reform is centered on price, Minnesota would get the short end of the stick because it has one of the most efficient systems in the nation. Gingrich said the number one word to describe the proposal is âÄúdisappointing.âÄù He called it a âÄú1970 socialized medical model brought up 30 years later.âÄù He said the proposal was all about control, and the bill created 31 new agencies, but lacked innovation. Both speakers said ObamaâÄôs reform bill should be stalled. Gingrich said as time goes on it would be tougher to pass it through the Legislature. Gingrich also shared PawlentyâÄôs motto that it is unnecessary to raise taxes. He said if healthcare payments were aligned with value and âÄúwe go after the crooksâÄù (people committing medical malpractice), there would be almost enough money to pay for universal coverage. He gave the example of five pizza parlors that were claiming to treat HIV/AIDS to collect coverage as an example of people abusing the system. Frank Cerra, senior vice president for health sciences and dean of the Medical School, also said there is no need for new money to enter the healthcare system. He said the way doctors are paid needs to change and nurses could be better utilized. Eliminating fraud in service programs like Medicare and Medicaid could also save money, Cerra said. Human service programs were also criticized at the state level, as Pawlenty said programs like General Assistance Medical Care were âÄúdesigned on the heels of others,âÄù and are âÄúnow imploding.âÄù

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