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Bjorkman Fought Insurers to Protect Sick Clients, Advocates Public Option

At his Congressional campaign launch in Canistota on July 13, Democrat Tim Bjorkman made clear he wants the United States to follow the rest of the civilized world and implement some form of universal health care. Visiting Langford and Britton Friday, Bjorkman spoke of the experiences he had fighting private insurance companies that have shaped his support for more public health coverage:

Tim Bjorkman in jeans and short-sleeve shirt
Tim Bjorkman

As an attorney, he fought insurance companies and their decisions to deny coverage because of pre-existing conditions. He specifically recalled two cases he took to a jury trial and won. In one of those cases, however, his client fighting for coverage died before he received the news that his case was won.

In another case, he took an insurance company to court because a family received a hefty bill after their insurance company approved care at the hospital. In that case, he said, the insurance company tried to differentiate between approved care and covered care. This case was eventually won on appeal.

“We need to have everyone covered,” Bjorkman said. “Getting affordable health care for everyone is the most American thing to do” [Elisa Sand, “House Candidate Bjorkman Sees a Need to Get Health Care for All,” Aberdeen American News, 2017.08.26].

Bjorkman tells Sand his priority is “fighting the corporate power” (again, Bjorkman is talking like Bernie Sanders), in this case by allowing low-income Americans to buy into Medicare. That public option would help millions of Americans escape the predations of private insurers whom Bjorkman fought as a lawyer.