>> Cathy: WE'RE GOING TO TURN OUR ATTENTION NOW TO WHAT EXPERTS SAY A SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MIGHT MEAN FOR HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH HERE IN MINNESOTA.

AMONG BIG CHANGES THAT COULD BE COMING, THE END OF ALL OR PART OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND A SHIFT IN CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES SUCH AS VACCINATIONS FOR SCHOOL KIDS.

JEREMY OLSON COVERS HEALTH CARE FOR THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE AND IS PART OF A TEAM OF REPORTERS COVERING THESE ISSUES.

WELCOME BACK.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.

>> Cathy: YEAH, THANKS.

LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP SAID HE'S GOING TO DO, AND I'M WONDERING ABOUT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGING OR REPEALING THE A.C.A.

IS THAT POSSIBLE AND IF THAT HAPPENS, WHAT WOULD THAT DO HERE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA?

>> WELL, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID AND DIDN'T SAY.

WHEN HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO PROTECT MEDICARE, WHEN HE SAYS HE'S GOING TO PROTECT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT AND SOCIAL SECURITY, MISSING FROM THAT LIST IS MEDICAID, MISSING FROM THAT LIST ARE CERTAIN PROVISIONS EXTENDING MEDICAID UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.

SO THE ABSENCE OF THOSE THINGS SUGGEST SOME CONCERN THERE, THAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE ROLLED BACK.

AND THAT'S PARTICULARLY CONCERNING FOR MINNESOTA BECAUSE WE EXPANDED MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY, THERE'S THOUSANDS MORE MINNESOTANS WHO ARE RECEIVING MEDICAID THROUGH THOSE EXPANDED POLICIES, IF THOSE GO AWAY IT CHANGES THE DYNAMIC FOR MINNESOTA WHEN IT COMES TO ITS UNINSURED IN HEALTH COVERAGE.

>> Cathy: WE HAVE MNSURE, THE EXCHANGE, WE'VE HAD HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS IN THE PAST, MINNESOTACARE COMES TO MIND AS AN EXAMPLE.

I MEAN, COULD THAT AYBE HELP FOLKS?

>> WELL, MNSURE IS AN INDIVIDUAL MARKET THAT WOULD THEN BECOME AN OPTION FOR THOSE PEOPLE IF THEY WERE BOOTED OFF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

NO DOUBT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE IS A BETTER DEAL, LOWER COPAYS, LOWER OSTS, A PLAN ON MNSURE IS STILL SUBJECT TO SAME COPAYS AND THERE ARE STILL SUBSIDIES AND THE LOWER YOUR INCOME THE LOWER YOUR COPAYS, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESS.

>> Eric: ROBERT KENNEDY JR'S IMPORTANCE TO DEBATE IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

>> WELL, WHEN PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP SAYS WILD THINGS.

YOU KNOW HE'S A DEAL MAKER, YOU KNOW SOMETIMES HE SAYS THINGS TO POSITION HIMSELF TO MAKE A DEAL TO GET THINGS IN EXCHANGE.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR DOESN'T REALLY OPERATE THAT WAY.

IF HE GETS TO GO WILD ON THE FEDERAL AGENCY AS PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP PROMISED YOU CAN BET HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE THOSE TO HEART AND PURSUE THEM.

I ACTUALLY SAT WITH HIM FOR AN HOUR A FEW YEARS AGO ABOUT OF HE TESTED AT THE TATE LEGISLATURE ABOUT REMOVING EXEMPTIONS TO VACCINES IN THE STATE.

AND HE'S SERIOUS ABOUT THING THINGS LIKE ELEVATING CONCERN OF VACCINE INJURIES EVEN IN THE FACE OF SOME SCIENCE THAT SAYS VACCINES ARE SAFE COMPARED TO THE SMALL RATE OF INJURIES THAT OCCUR.

YOU TAKE RFK JUNIOR SERIOUSLY WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT THOSE.

WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT REMOVING FLUORIDE FROM WATER SYSTEMS, HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE, EVEN THOSE THERE'S RESEARCH NOT SAYING THAT, HE'S GOING TO PURSUE THOSE AGGRESSIVELY IF HE'S PUT IN CHARGE.

>> Cathy: I ONDER HOW TARIFFS COULD AFFECT THE HEALTH INDUSTRY.

>> TARIFFS COULD BE PART OF THE ART OF THE DEAL AND THAT COULD BE PART OF GIVE AND TAKE.

I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF DIVE MAKERS IN TOWN.

AND EVERYTHING'S BEEN KIND OF READING TEA LEAVES RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT TARIFFS, POLICIES, NO ONE'S SURE, BUT WHAT THE DEVICE MAKERS IN TOWN OUR MEDTRONICS OF THE WORLD KNOW IS THAT THEIR INCOME IS BASED ON INSURANCE COVERAGE AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BENEFITS THE MORE LIKELY THEY ARE TO GET COVERED AND TO QUALIFY FOR THESE THINGS SO IN TERMS OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, WHAT THEY'RE MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS IS INSURANCE COVERAGE AND WHETHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE DEVICES THAT THEY SELL.

>> Eric: CAN A TIGHT HOUSE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND ONE-SEAT MARGIN IN THE SENATE CAN THEY AGREE AGREE LIKE REINSURANCE TO TAMP DOWN PREMIUMS?

>> EASSURANCE IS SET TO EXPIRE.

>> Eric: THAT'S WHY I ASKED, YEAH.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S FUNCTIONED WITH OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF BELIEF OF HOW EFFECTIVE IT'S BEEN SO I EXPECT THAT'D GOING TO BE A BATTLE.

I WOULD SAY THE PUBLIC OPTION THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED THAT WE WERE STUDYING, YEAH, EVERYONE'S PUT PESSIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC OPTION TO TRY AND COMPETE WITH PRIVATE PLANS AND DRIVE DOWN COSTS, THAT'S A NO-NO.

>> Eric: IS THE FATE OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IN DANGER OR NATIONWIDE PUBLIC HEALTH ASPECT OF HEALTH CARE?

>> Cathy: WHAT ARE, BY THE WAY, YEAH, O AHEAD, ANSWER THAT QUESTION, CURIOUS.

>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, THE CONCERN, WE ALREADY HAD THE SECOND HIGHEST MEASLES OUTBREAK IN THE COUNTRY HERE IN MINNESOTA DIRECTLY DUE TO A DECLINE IN MEASLES VACCINATIONS AND THAT WAS DUE TO DECLINE IN CONFIDENCE ALREADY.

IF THERE'S FURTHER MESSAGING ABOUT INJURIES BEING MORE OF A CONCERN THAT'S GOING TO WEAKEN CONFIDENCE FURTHER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE -- THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW PUBLIC HEALTH COBWEBBINGENNED, MORE MEASLES CASES AND MORE UPON THAT.

>> Cathy: THE FOLLOW-UP OF THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF AN INCOMING ADMINISTRATION AND THE THREAT OF DISMANTLING CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I WONDER ABOUT DISMANTLING THE CDC.

>> THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT LEADING THE CDC AS A LEADER ON DECISION MAKING, THAT THE CDC WOULD STILL TRACK DISEASES, REPORT THAT INFORMATION BUT IT WOULD BE KIND OF FARMED OUT TO STATES.

AS DID HAPPEN DURING THE PANDEMIC.

REMEMBER, PRESIDENT TRUMP AT THE TIME HELD STATES KIND OF ON THEIR OWN TO BUY THEIR OWN STUFF AND HANDLE THEIR OWN PLANS AND THAT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AT A BROADER SCALE.

>> Eric: YOU'LL BE BUSY.

YEAH, IT'S JOB SECURITY FOR