“Minnesota’s seniors as well as seniors in other parts of the country with low Medicare reimbursement have been treated far too long as second-class citizens by a Medicare funding system that rewards bloated, inefficient health-care delivery and punishes seniors and providers in states like Minnesota that provide comparatively fiscally conservative quality health care,” said Barbara Kaufman at the founding of the Medicare Justice Coalition in May 1999.   Keynote speakers at the founding meeting were former US Senator David Durenberger and Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch.  

Since that time, under leadership of MSF, Medicare Justice Coalition has grown to more than 1,000 senior consumers in five states along with physician and hospital groups, health plans and health policy professionals.

While we have made significant progress since the MJC’s inception, there is still a huge variation between areas like Minneapolis and areas like Miami. “With $300 per month Medicare payment differences still existing,” says Mary Gates, former MJC chairperson, “payments to Medicare+Choice plans in Miami are higher than needed for appropriate medical care. There, Medicare funds are still being used to pay for prescription drug and medical travel and doctor visits with no cost to participants. It is the inequity of benefits, as well as the inequity of federal funds that enrages seniors living in places like Minnesota.”

Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm praised the Federation’s efforts with Medicare Justice Coalition at our 2001 Annual Convention. “The Medicare Justice Coalition, as a consumer-led campaign, has been able to achieve more in one year than providers working on this issue for 15 years were able to accomplish.”