Health orgs defy Pawlenty, send reform report to D.C.

Three Minnesota health care organizations defied Gov. Tim Pawlenty on an issue related to health care reform by releasing a report to the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asked states to weigh in on creating online marketplaces for consumers to buy insurance, known as exchanges.

Pawlenty refused to send the Minnesota Department of Health's response. The governor opposes health reform.

Three groups representing Minnesota health plans, hospitals and doctors acquired the report through a data practices request and submitted it anyway.

Julie Brunner, of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, said the groups thought it was important that federal health officials get Minnesota's perspective.

"We were all really concerned that Minnesota as a state had not gone on record officially regarding our concerns as the federal agency develops the rules to govern insurance exchanges."

Pawlenty's spokesman said the Minnesota health department's findings were "seriously flawed."

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