Minnesota lawmakers have a “moral imperative” to invest in the state’s long-term care system and workers, said Dr. Ann Vogel on Monday on her way to the Capitol. The New Ulm physician organized a busload of providers from southwest Minnesota to head up to St. Paul to rally support for senior care. The trip came shortly into the 2023 legislative session, during which lawmakers will consider how to use a $17.6 billion surplus. About $1 billion to $2 billion should go toward long-term care, Vogel said. “The best outcome is that they say we’re going to prioritize this and we’ll take $1 billion or $2 billion and start paying certified nursing assistants and nurses taking care of these people a living wage,” she said.
