Home Visiting Legislation Mandates Equal Health Outcomes

Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act

Mind-numbing legalese establishes undefined programs and mandates!

The Minnesota legislature is back in session and HF 1, Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act (Great Start, for short), has a hearing Tuesday, February 18^th, 8:00am-9:45am and reconvening at 5:30pm. This is the only bill on the docket. The committee reconvenes on Thursday, February 20^th at 8:00am. in the Early Childhood Finance and Policy committee, Rep. Dave Pinto, Chair.  An early bill hearing is always a sign that an important bill may be slated for easy passage.

ARTICLE 1: HOME VISITING

The newest iteration of HF 1 underscores the requirement of equal health outcomes for those who enroll themselves into home visiting programs. There are no stipulations as to income. These regulations will stand for all parents and children who enter the program. Two distinct types of home visiting programs and their corresponding grants are defined in Article 1. Both grant types must address health equity.

• The evidenced-based home visiting program which is defined as “having a consistent program or model that is research-based and grounded in relevant, empirical based knowledge.” As we so often find in government programs, a specific model will be used that is not locally decided by individual providers, doctors or parents, but via top-down state or federal mandates.

 Subdivision 2 and 3 under evidenced-based includes a rag-tag compilation of non-defined outcomes, organizations and standards. The subdivision states that the home visiting program must be a “consistent program or model” (Which consistent program or model?) must be linked to “program-determined outcomes” (Which program determinations and outcomes?) and “associated with a national organization” (Which one?), “institution of higher education” (Which one?) or “national or state public health institute” (Which one?).

Certainly there is not enough information in this listing of requirements in order to make a reasoned decision. Bills always refer to specific institutions of higher learning, national organizations and define outcomes. Legislators: You have no idea what you are voting for here!

Also, there will be “comprehensive home visitation standards.” There’s no mention of what those standards might be!  Is the Commissioner of Health filling in all the blanks? Again, we have no idea what this bill proposes!

All evidenced-based home visiting programs “must address health equity.”

• The evidenced-informed home visiting program is defined as “data or evidence demonstrating the program’s effectiveness at achieving positive outcomes for pregnant women and young children.” Evidence-informed programs must address health equity.

As defined in the bill, the definition of health equity…

(d) “Health equity” means every individual has a fair opportunity to attain the individual’s full health potential and no individual is prevented from achieving this potential.”

The definition of equity is equal outcomes.

Equal HEALTH outcomes = EQUAL HEALTH outcomes. If an outcome is decided based on “evidenced-based outcomes” or “evidenced-informed” then a certain procedure or medication must always be given.  Equal outcomes mean the same will be done for everyone, despite the obvious elephant in the room, human differences. We’re all physiologically unique!

COST: $30,000,000 in 2021 for the government to tell you exactly how you will raise your child and what medical treatments you and your child will receive.

Is this what we want for our state and families?

The umbrella of far-away models and programs and outcomes decries the fact that regulatory legislation such as this will allow doctors little freedom to diagnose per their professional education and conscience for each child that is unique to any other child. It will allow a patient little freedom to choose alternatives.

Please stand up for the children and families of our state! We’ve offered research on only the first 3 of 21 pages of freedom-busting legislation. Let others whom you care about know what is happening. Share the article with friends.

Call your legislator and tell them to vote NO against the Great Start home visiting programs and the Great Start all-together. Consider sitting in at one of the hearings, even if you are not testifying. The legislators and lobbyists know when a member of the public attends a hearing. It’s rare and captures their attention!

No one else will do it unless we attend to our own freedom!