Senator Smith believes that every person deserves affordable, high-quality health care. As a member of the Senate Health Committee and a leader in the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, Sen. Smith is fighting to protect, improve, and expand comprehensive health care coverage for Minnesotans.
A top priority for Sen. Smith is addressing the high cost of health care. Too many Minnesotans are burdened by the high cost of their health care coverage, and others are going without insurance or prescription medications. Sen. Smith is working with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the underlying issues that make health care expensive, starting with the high price of prescription drugs.
While working to make health care more affordable, Sen. Smith is also working to ensure that every Minnesotan has access to mental health care, which she believes is an essential part of comprehensive health coverage. She is working to enforce federal laws that require equitable coverage of mental health and medical care, and she is fighting for expanded access to mental health services across the age continuum.
Sen. Smith also opposes any efforts to limit coverage for Minnesotans, slash Medicaid or Medicare, deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions, and interfere with a woman’s right to make decisions about her own health care. Minnesotans and people across this country rely on their health coverage, and believes that any attempt to take that away is unacceptable.
Finally, Sen. Smith is a champion for rural communities, who face unique barriers that limit their access to quality, affordable health care. As co-chair of the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, Sen. Smith is working with her colleagues to eliminate the health disparities between rural and urban communities.
Latest Releases
Klobuchar, Smith Announce Significant Investments to Improve Health Care in Rural Minnesota
Washington, D.C. [11/7/22] — Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN) announced significant federal investments that will improve health care quality and accessibility in Greater Minnesota. These grants – over $1.8 million in total – will help health care organizations and providers expand critical services and recover from lost revenue in the wake of the pandemic. “This funding will make health care more accessible for rural communities across our state by helping providers expand services, purchase new ambulances, and upgrade facilities to improve the safety of patients and frontline workers,” said Klobuchar. “I’ll keep pushing for resources to ensure that all Minnesotans, regardless of their zip code, can access quality, affordable health care.” “When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and Tribal leaders in rural Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is health care,” said Sen. Smith. “These investments will expand access to health care for thousands of Minnesotans while helping providers recover from pandemic-related staffing shortages and lost revenue. As Co-Chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, I will continue working to improve access to health care in Greater Minnesota.” Specifically, grants will help replace outdated ambulances, purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), and upgrade hospital and nursing facilities in Slayton, Kittson, Big Stone, Chippewa, Sibley, Freeborn, Red Lake, and Murray Counties. As a member of the Senate Health Committee and a leader in the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, Sen. Smith is fighting to protect, improve, and expand comprehensive health care coverage for Minnesotans. Last month, Smith
Senator Smith, Colleagues Release New Report Detailing Devastating Harms Posed by State Abortion Bans
Washington D.C. [11.01.22] – U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), released a new report detailing the devastating consequences of Republican-led state abortion bans and restrictions.The 23-page report – based on information provided by leading health care providers – reveals the effects of these radical laws on women’s access to health care as described by health care organizations representing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and hospitals. The report also shows the disastrous impact Republicans’ proposed national abortion ban would have on women’s health and the entire health care system. “This report confirms exactly what I feared: Republicans’ crusade against women’s reproductive freedoms has created national chaos that is a mortal threat to women’s health,” said Senator Smith. “I am determined to push back against these dangerous Republican efforts, and I will not stop organizing and fighting until women’s freedoms can be exercised equally in all parts of this country.” “In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, this report reveals that the abortion bans and extreme restrictions imposed by Republican politicians have devastating health consequences and threaten women’s lives,” said Senator Warren. “According to leading health care organizations representing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and hospitals, the health consequences of criminalizing abortion are catastrophic for women – and the Republicans’ proposed national abortion ban would only exacerbate this crisis.” “This report lays bare the very real, barbaric consequences of Republicans’ state-by-state efforts to control women and strip them of their basic rights to
Senators Smith, Barrasso Introduce Bipartisan Reauthorization of Key Program Aimed at Improving Rural Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Co-Chairs of the Senate Rural Health Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize a key program that supports state health facilities across the country to help improve health care in rural areas. “When I meet with families, farmers, businesses and community leaders in rural Minnesota, one of the first issues that comes up is healthcare,” said Senator Smith. “This bipartisan legislation will make sure State Offices of Rural Health have the resources they need to expand and improve healthcare services in rural communities. I’ll keep working to get this
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Statement on Today’s Inflation Reduction Act Celebration
WASHINGTON, D.C. [09/13/22] — Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) released the following statement marking today’s celebration of the historic Inflation Reduction Act: “Today we are celebrating a historic bill that is already meeting the moment. In the month since Senate Democrats – without the help of a single Republican – passed the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark legislation has created new investments, new jobs, and new opportunities for Americans. “It will reduce costs for American families by lowering prescription drug prices and making health care more affordable. It will unleash a new generation of American manufacturing that will help us
Sen. Smith Announces Significant Investment in Minnesota Youth Mental Health Programs
WASHINGTON [9.13.22] –Today, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that Minnesota will receive at least $800,000 in youth mental health grants. The grants – aimed at addressing increasing youth mental health conditions – are made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan, which Sen. Smith helped pass earlier this year. “As we continue to address the impacts of COVID-19, another crisis has emerged – the crisis of youth mental health. When I experienced depression, resources were there for me. But right now, too many people don’t have access to the mental health care they need,” said Senator Smith. “These
Senators Smith, Merkley, Colleagues Sound Alarm on Unlawful Charges for PrEP Patients
Washington, D.C. [9.8.22] – Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) led a group of their colleagues in a letter pushing health insurance companies to explain their continued practice of unlawfully charging people for PrEP, a popular drug that’s prescribed to prevent HIV. The Senators’ letter follows a deeply flawed court ruling on Wednesday that further threatens access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) on the basis of religious freedom. As the legal process moves forward, the Senators pressed the health insurance industry to abide by current law to provide medication and ancillary services without charge. “It has been
English