Some new perspective on American’s view on health care. It remains a top issue and will likely be for next year – polling shows that suddenly the Affordable Care Act and subsidies are more popular. This shift suggests that we may have a better lens on health care costs as a citizenry due to the ACA. That’s important, but so are many other issues – like workforce, access and recruiting physicians – impacting health care.
Minnesota has long prided itself as a health care leader, and undoubtedly Mayo continues to give us currency. What about other challenges, and how does Minnesota regain its leadership? Those will be big questions going into 2026 and beyond.
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POLLING
POT: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “With cannabis-related vehicle crashes on the rise, a study suggests that prevention campaigns shouldn’t focus just on young people. In fact, 20% of people over 50 who use cannabis products reported that at least once in the past year, they had driven within two hours of using the drug. That means they likely got on the road while the THC in cannabis still impaired their reaction times, attention and other abilities that are important to driving safely.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oUlnBj
SUBSIDIES: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Half of Republicans and 60% of voters overall said they supported extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire in a few weeks — but many can be persuaded, according to new GOP polling . . . Overall support for extending the tax credits dropped to just 34% after respondents were presented with the GOP arguments and trade-offs. The survey tested five GOP talking points on the issue, which were particularly influential with Republicans and independents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aIH5Vi
GOVT RESPONSIBILITY: Via Pew, VERBATIM: “Most Americans (66%) say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. Far fewer (33%) say it does not, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Nov. 17-30, 2025, among 10,357 U.S. adults.”
“Majorities of Americans across income levels say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. However, adults in lower-income households are particularly likely to say this. There are wide differences between higher- and lower-income Republicans on this question.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48HdZEJ
NURSES: Via nurses.org, responses to an online poll of current and former home health nurses:
Do/did you feel adequately protected when visiting patients in their homes?
No: 51%
Somewhat: 38%
Yes: 10%
READ: https://fluence-media.co/48NivQu
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
DC + MN
MEDICAID: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz is warning Gov. Tim Walz that the state’s federal Medicaid funding could be withheld next year if Minnesota doesn’t address the ‘systemic fraud vulnerabilities’ that it claims has led to over $1 billion in losses . . . The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) is asked to provide weekly updates on how the state is stopping fraud; freeze enrollment of all high-risk providers for six months; confirm all providers are legitimate or remove them and, lastly, send CMS a corrective action plan of how fraud will be prevented moving forward.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YocsNA
MORE: From Oz via X, VERBATIM: “While I have yet to hear directly from Gov. Walz, who seems to be spending his time dodging responsibility, the state has agreed to begin providing its weekly progress updates to my team on the status of their audit activities. We have also told the State to begin a process of revalidating all of its enrolled providers in at-risk Medicaid programs, starting with the 14 programs the state has already acknowledged as high-risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q9smrb
HEALTH SUBSIDIES: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a motion to advance a Democrat-drafted bill to extend enhanced health insurance premium subsidies that are due to expire at the end of 2025, tax credits that Democrats say are needed to keep premiums from rising by double digits next year. The legislation, which needed 60 votes to advance, failed by a vote of 51 to 48.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oTviqS
MORE: From Minnesota’s delegation:
KLOBUCHAR: Via statement from Sen. Amy Klobuchar, QUOTE: “Today, once again, I voted to extend the health care tax credits to prevent health insurance premiums from doubling for so many in our state. By refusing to act, Congress has put millions of Americans in an impossible position — forcing families, farmers, and small business owners to question whether they can even afford to keep their insurance,” said Klobuchar. “I will keep fighting to end this health care crisis, lower costs, and increase access to quality care.”
SMITH: From Sen. Tina Smith via X, VERBATIM: “Republicans will say they can’t help you afford health insurance because of the national debt, then turn around and spend all your tax money on anything and everything EXCEPT health care” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4q3mHTg
MORE: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “White House policy teams are ‘looking at a lot of different avenues’ and doing their own ‘analysis,’ said one White House official, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. There is no single White House-preferred plan emanating from Capitol Hill, where various options are circulating, and the White House is in touch with many offices. ‘We’re doing our own analysis right now, and I think we need to get that figured out before we come out publicly,’ the White House official said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Mpkwv3
ACCESS + FUNDING
2026 SESSION: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “Lawmakers took a tour of St. Mary’s Medical Center with Essentia Health’s CEO Dr. David Herman and discussed some of the big concerns hospitals are experiencing in the Northland and across the state. This is the first of many visits for Minnesota legislators tackling the state’s health system. Including how to resolve bigger issues residents are experiencing. Minnesota Senator Grant Hauschild is pushing to increase state spending for healthcare in light of recent federal cuts.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XPv49c
ABORTION: Via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “At least 23 independent clinics have closed this year, according to a report released Tuesday by Abortion Care Network, compared with 12 last year. Most were in states with abortion-rights protections, the report found. Independent providers face less recognition than Planned Parenthood and ongoing barriers to funding. Donations to abortion clinics and funds have waned, leading to more out-of-pocket costs for patients, States Newsroom reported last year. Independent clinics provide 58% of all abortions nationwide, while Planned Parenthood provides 38%, hospitals 3%, and 1% occur at physicians’ offices, according to the latest Abortion Care Network findings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MUb9Dv
TRAFFICKING: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has awarded Minnesota a nearly $9 million grant that will help strengthen Minnesota’s response to labor trafficking. Minnesota was invited to apply for this grant by the foundation in recognition of the state’s commitment to stopping labor trafficking through innovative coordination with public health, public safety, human services and human rights agencies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aG2zlO
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
FROM DC
DRUG PRICES: Via news release from Rep. Craig, VERBATIM: “U.S. Representative Angie Craig today announced legislation that would lower prescription drug prices for Americans and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for price gouging consumers. The Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act would build on her work on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower prescription drug prices for America’s seniors by expanding price negotiations so that more Americans can afford their medication.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4puuucX
BOTULISM: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Federal health officials have expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to recalled ByHeart baby formula to include all illnesses reported since the company began production in March 2022 . . . No deaths have been reported in the outbreak, which was announced on Nov. 8. Previously, health officials had said the outbreak included 39 suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism reported in 18 states since August.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44XI7cr
WHERE: Via CDC:
SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48d1Rtr
VACCINES: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may have said he won’t take vaccines away from anyone, but that’s exactly what the anti-vaccine organization he founded asked the Food and Drug Administration to do in a petition this week. Why it matters: The formal document — which the agency is required to respond to — is part of a growing call to pull the shots from the market. And it comes during a week when the agency said it’s expanding an investigation of deaths potentially related to the shots, this time in adults.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iRWF37
DEATHS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its investigation of deaths possibly linked to the Covid vaccine to include adults as well as children, according to a Trump administration official. The inquiry began in September, spurred by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s repeated claims that the coronavirus vaccine is dangerous and deadly despite the widespread scientific consensus that the shots are safe.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KX1DPs
STUDY: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A large national cohort study from France didn’t observe any increase in all-cause mortality in adults up to four years after receipt of a COVID mRNA vaccine, and vaccination was linked to a 74% lower risk of death from severe COVID-19 and a 25% lower risk of death from any cause.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pZ0qWF
AIRPORT WORKOUT: From Sen. Tina Smith sharing video of Secretaries Kennedy and Duffy doing pull-ups at an airport, QUOTE: “You know what else is a great way to stay healthy (and doesn’t involve embarrassing yourself at the airport?) Vaccines.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4psiQzn
MEDIA: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The New York Times, attacked by President Donald Trump for reporting about his physical condition, said on Wednesday that it wouldn’t be deterred by ‘false and inflammatory language’ that distorts the role of a free press. The president had posted on his Truth Social platform that he believed it was ‘seditious, perhaps even treasonous’ for the Times and other media outlets to do ‘FAKE’ reports on his health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44psbzw
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
RESEARCH
STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “A new Mayo Clinic study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has uncovered that an off-the-shelf, dual-antibody therapy can generate deep and durable responses in extramedullary multiple myeloma — one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of the disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48zhfBY
POT: From Washington State University via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Rats with naturally high stress levels were far more likely to self-administer cannabis when given access. Behavioral testing showed that baseline stress hormones were the strongest predictor of cannabis-seeking behavior. Lower cognitive flexibility and low endocannabinoid levels also contributed to increased use. The results hint at possible early indicators of vulnerability to drug misuse.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iPCXFj
SUICIDE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The U.S. suicide rate dropped slightly last year from some of the highest levels ever reported, preliminary data suggests. Experts say it’s hard to know exactly why, or whether the decline will continue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aH2rT1
BRAIN: Via Mayo Clinic, a profile of a researcher studying connections between neurological conditions and autoimmune diseases. VERBATIM: “For Irani, these discoveries connect directly to Mayo Clinic‘s Precure initiative, which aims to predict and prevent disease before symptoms appear. ‘There are very few examples in medicine where we have a tractable handle on what’s causing the disease,’ he explains. ‘Here we know the antibodies cause the disease. So the question is simple: How and why are they made? If we can work out causation, we can get close to pre-cure.’ His lab is tackling that question through two complementary approaches: exploring patients’ genetic predispositions and studying their immune cells.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48PvukM
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
ESSENTIA: Via news release from Essentia, VERBATIM: “Essentia Health is happy to announce Gerald ‘Jerry’ Staley as its new chief human resources officer . . . Staley brings more than three decades of experience in human resources leadership, including senior executive roles across large integrated health systems and public sector organizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q1wjOi
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)
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