Lucas Nesse

Lucas Nesse

President

Council president Lucas Nesse is passionate about making Minnesota a better place to live. He worked for state government early in his career and most recently directed health policy and grassroots advocacy for the Minnesota Business Partnership. He has led the Council since October 2019.

Nesse earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Gustavus Adolphus College and his Juris Doctor Degree from William Mitchell College of Law. He lives in Lake Elmo with his wife and two children.

Council news

2022

  • HealthPartners CEO Andrea Walsh named chair of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans Board of Directors

    The Minnesota Council of Health Plans has appointed Andrea Walsh chair of the association’s board of directors. Walsh, the president and CEO of HealthPartners, takes over for John Naylor, president and CEO of Medica. [caption id="attachment_6994" align="alignleft" width="236"] Andrea Walsh, president and CEO, HealthPartners[/caption] The Council works to foster collaboration among its nonprofit health plan […]

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  • Council releases 2021 industry financial results

    Throughout the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota’s nonprofit health plans continued to put the health and financial stability of their enrollees first. COVID-19 related costs for the fully insured and government program markets exceeded $649 million in 2021, including $237 million in testing and vaccination costs, and $66 million in voluntary cost-sharing waivers.

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2021

2021

  • StarTribune

    Our Best Shot: Cost is not a reason to avoid getting a COVID shot

    The COVID-19 vaccine is free. For patients, there are no out-of-pocket expenses. No copay. No coinsurance. No office visit fee. No bill even if you haven't met your annual deductible.

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  • StarTribune

    Results soar at Minnesota’s seven big health insurers as claims fall amid pandemic

    Legal settlements and delayed care amid the pandemic drove a surge in operating income last year for Minnesota's nonprofit health insurers. The COVID-19 impact was widely noted last spring as a shutdown in elective procedures caused use of medical services to plummet.

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  • StarTribune

    Questions surface over Minnesota’s COVID-19 testing contract

    Minnesota public health officials talk with pride of the free statewide COVID-19 testing system they set up last year, but questions are mounting about the cost of the no-bid contract they negotiated and a key pricing amendment still in the works.

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  • StarTribune

    Keep moving forward on expanded telehealth in Minnesota

    As lockdowns loomed, state and federal regulators eased restrictions on "telehealth." That led to more virtual visits in Minnesota and elsewhere, with doctors and patients communicating via video or a phone call in lieu of a clinic appointment. A year later, there's a timely debate at the Minnesota Capitol over whether to maintain telehealth expansion measures.

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  • Minnesota Physician

    Insuring the highest health of Minnesotans

    The Council is a resource for consumers in a variety of ways, including helping Minnesotans gain entry into the health care system, finding the best providers for their specific situation, and ensuring coordinating of care overall. Efforts can also include support for food security, housing, education, and transportation to appointments.

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Resources

All Care is Local
You do stories every week about decisions that shape the care Minnesotans get. The big policy discussions may be happening in Washington, D.C., and St. Paul, the reality is all care is local. We’re working to make the far away conversations understandable at home, county by county.

All Care Is Local

Current Issues

See our thoughts on current issues.

Essentials of Health Policy Sourcebook
Solid background information. The key to using this information in reporting is our first link, All Care is Local. How health policies are implemented vary across the country, and even within states. National sources hold a wealth of information, but often, Minnesota rules, laws and unique approach to health policy mean things are a bit different here.

Essentials of Health Policy Sourcebook

Association of Health Care Journalists
AHCJ‘s focus is the “quality, accuracy and visibility of health care reporting, writing and editing.” More than 1,500 members help each other cover the beat.
Health Care Costs: A Reporter's Toolkit
An oldie but a goodie, at least when it comes to understanding the basics: Premiums are expensive because care is expensive.

Health Care Costs: A Reporter’s Toolkit

Health News Review
You’ll find tips and tools for analyzing health care claims and a critical review of stories in the media. (Not claims as in medical bills/insurance claims. You’ll get help analyzing what’s said in the news releases in your inbox.)

Health News Review

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