The Honorable Tim Walz

Governor of the State of Minnesota

Office of the Governor 130 State Capitol

The Honorable Melissa Hortman

Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
463 State Office Building

The Honorable Paul Gazelka

Majority Leader of the Minnesota Senate
Minnesota Senate Building, #3113

Cc: Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt

Dear Governor Walz, Speaker Hortman, and Majority Leader Gazelka:

We write today as 189 Providers for the Provider Tax to request your support in repealing the sunset of Minnesota’s
health care provider tax.

Each of the undersigned are providers whose services are subject to the provider tax, but know that the value of the tax is
greater than its cost. The provider tax has been derided as a “sick tax” yet the true sick tax is paid by those who seek care
without coverage, or worse, forego health care because they lack insurance.

Every day, we provide services to help improve the physical and mental wellbeing of Minnesotans, and recognize the
difference that access to affordable coverage makes for our patients. The original purpose of the Health Care Access Fund
in 1992 was to insure more Minnesotans through MinnesotaCare. Today, the largest expense from the Health Care Access
Fund pays for a portion of the state share of Medical Assistance, the program that covers 1 in 5 Minnesotans. While the
program may have changed, the use of the fund remains the same: to increase coverage and improve the health of
Minnesotans.

This letter is signed by members of the following professions who are honored to be listed as Providers for the Provider
Tax:

● Pediatricians
● Family Medicine Physicians
● Surgeons
● Mental Health Practitioners
● Licensed Graduate Social Workers
● Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers
● Licensed Psychologists
● Psychiatrists
● Registered Nurses
● Certified Nurse Practitioners
● Physician Assistants
● Dental Surgeons

We ask that you not jeopardize the health of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans by failing to repeal the scheduled
sunset of Minnesota’s health care provider tax. There is only one established approach that will hold the coverage of
thousands of Minnesotans harmless and that is by preserving the provider tax.

Sincerely,
Nathan Chomilo, MD, Vice President Minnesota Nasreen Quadri, MD
Doctors for Health Equity Emily Borman-Shoap, MD
Lori DeFrance, President of the Minnesota Chapter of the Stephen Knier, DO
American Academy of Pediatrics Megan Camerino, MD
Sheldon Berkowitz, MD, FAAP, President Elect of the Miriam Shapiro, MD
Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Julie Bluhm, LICSW, CEO of Guild Incorporated
Lindsey Yock, MD, JD, Pediatric Hospitalist at Children's MN Rick Lee, PhD, LP, Executive Director, CMMHC
and MNAAP Board Member Beth Thielen, MD, PhD
Johanna Burkstaller, MSW, LGSW Zia Okocha, MD
Emily Graesser, PsyD, LP Just Wiltse, MD
Terra Sorg, MSW, LICSW Brie Bloomquist, MD
Sarah Sjolund, Mental Health Practitioner Pahoua Yang, MSW, PhD, LP, LICSW
Andrea Westby, MD Peg Hayes, MSW, LICSW, LP
Adnan Ahmed, MBBS, Assistant Professor University of Meghan Fanta, MD
Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry David Walz, MA, LPCC
Hannah Lichtsinn, MD Nicole Williams Doonan, MD
Mark S. Paller, MD Martha McGrory, APRN, CNP
Maren Olson, MD, MPH Tim Feyma, MD
Cora Walsh, MD, MSc Stephen B Sundberg, MD
April Wilhelm, MD Tom F Novacheck, MD
Elizabeth Rogers, MD Johannah Scheurer, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics,
Madhuri Kasat Shors, MD MPH - Psychiatrist University of Minnesota
Michael V. Severson MD FAAP Jill Gettings, MD
Marissa Hendrickson, MD Melena Bellin, MD
Mark Brakke, MD, Health Care for All Minnesota Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD
Benjamin Katz, MD Meagan Crary, MSN, APRN, CNP
Briar Duffy, MD, University of Minnesota Physicians Patrick Graupman, MD
Aaron Graumann, MD Alaina Laine, APRN, CNP
Anna Milz, MD, MPh Deborah Buchman, MD
Meghan Walsh, MD, MPH, Hennepin Healthcare Rachel Tellez, MD
Elizabeth Frost, MD, Family Medicine Heidi Moline, MD, MPH
Danielle Kasprzak, MSW, LGSW Susan A Berry, MD
Andrea Patten, LICSW Brian Muthyala, MD, MPH
Andrea E. Grey, MSW, LGSW Kacia Lee, MD
Stephanie Dietz, MSW, LGSW Angela Kade Goepferd, MD, Director of Medical Education and
Kabita Roy Psy.D LP Vice Chief of Staff, Children's
Nancie Hamlett, MA, LP Emily Chapman, MD
Jeannine Myrvik, LICSW Colin Turner, MD
Malini DeSilva, MD, MPH Anne Valaas-Turner, MD
Rose Caldie, LSW, Mental Health Practitioner Kelly Bolf, APRN, CNP FNP
Bernard Trappey, MD Beth Krehbiel , RN, FACHE, CEO of Zumbro Valley Health
Paul Strain, University of Minnesota Medical Student Center
Chris Reif, MD, MPH. Elizabeth Goelz, MD
Tanner Nissly, DO Phyllis Gorin, MD
Jennifer S Lee, MD Anne Pereira, MD, Assistant Dean for Curriculum UMN
Ebiere Okah, MD Medical School
Alexandra Gits, MD Katherine Diaz Vickery, MD, MSc
Melissa Pavek, MD Allison Wert, MD
Michael Westerhaus MD, MA David Hilden MD, MPH, FACP, Hennepin Healthcare
Beth Grommesh, MD Joseph Strangfeld, PA-C
Meredith Sax Bourne, MD Erica Monroe, PA-C
Katie Freeman, MD Michael Lawson, MD
Rebecca Getz, PsyD, LP Augie Lindmark, MD
Kristin Nelson, PsyD, LP Caroline Davis, MD
Amy Look, PhD, LP Nick Briese, MD
Lee Haggenjos, MD Haeshik Gorr, MD
Caitlin Block, MSW, LGSW Courtney McElroy, MD, MPH
Erin Setala, MA,LPCC Maria Veronica Svetaz, MD, MPH
LeeAnn Bera, MD Erin Gunselman, DDS
Leslie King-Schultz, MD, MPH, Hennepin Healthcare Melanie Lo, MD, MHS
Nicole Chaisson, MD, MPH Dan Hoody, MD, MS
Emily Brunner, MD James Risser, MD
Malinda Jorgensen, MD Sonja Colianni, MD, Hennepin Healthcare Assistant Chief of
Karen Jankowski, MD Pediatrics
Kathy Connolly, MSW, LICSW Brian Grahan, MD, PhD
Ron Jankowski, MD Rachel Sandler Silva, MD, MPH
Jessica Hane, MD Anne Kent, DDS
Mary Wild Crea, MD Bray Johnson, DNP, RN, APRN, AGACNP
Jim Hart, MD Heidi Fletcher, DDS
Audrey Messelt, MD Marissa Durman Madrigal, MD
Abiola Abu-Bakr, DNP, MPH, RN, PHN Tarrek Hegab, MD
Michael Aylward, MD Adam Kolb, MD
Tyler Winkelman, MD, MSc Min Graf, MD
Aarti Bhatt, MD Brian Yablon, MD
Ryan Kelly, MD Bridget M. Tierney, PA-C
Cuong Pham, MD Paul Johnson, MD
Elizabeth Hofbauer, MD Juan Sanchez Ramirez, MD
Iris Borowsky, MD, PhD Emily Yonke, MD
Saida Yassin, MD Chi Huynh, MD
Hannah Lichtsinn, MD Max Fraden, MD
M. Bruce Parker, MD, FACEP Anne K. Hust, MD, MPH
Amy Brendel, MD Michaela Rokosz, MD
Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS Abraham Jacob, MD, MHA
Annette Nijjar, MD Zach Kaltenborn, MD
Tom Scott, MD, FAAP Abby Montague, MD
Lauren Haveman, MD Daniel Sullivan, MD
Michele Allen, MD, MS Molly Youssef, MD
Marjorie Hogan, MD Michael Esan, MD
Muhamad Elrashidi, MD, MHA Matthew Syzdek, PhD, LP
Deepti Pandita, MD Bryan A. Nelson, MD
Dorothee Tshiela, MA, LPCC Bridgette Suri, MD
William Madland, MD Daniel Wells-Prado, MD
Glen Hansen, Ph.D, D(ABMM), FCCM Mary Seieroe DDS
Katie Lorentz, MD manji osifeso MD
Laura Miller, MD, MPH Aaron Rutzick MD
Carl Ebert, DDS Nicholas Weinand, DDS
Matthew Mundy, MD Demeka Campbell, MD
Karen Engstrom, LDH, COO Sean Yang, LDA
Joshua Lackner, MD