News | Fix It Now

by Monica Nilsson, director of Street Outreach at St. Stephen's Human Services, Minnesota Public Radio, March 1, 2010. A carpenter who once built beautiful homes now relies on GAMC to get treatment for mental illness. Read more »

Behind closed doors: Meetings on GAMC yield reports of tentative progress

February 25, 2010

by Steve Perry, Politics in Minnesota, Feb. 25, 2010. Read more »

HUNTLEY LETTER: A case for GAMC fix

February 24, 2010

by State Rep. Tom Huntley, DFL-Duluth, Duluth News Tribune, Feb. 23, 2010. Was governor's veto about policy -- or politics? Read more »

Supporters push for override of GAMC veto

February 22, 2010

by Jim Spencer, Star Tribune, Feb. 21, 2010. A coalition of 40 advocacy groups hopes to shower legislators with calls and e-mails over the next week urging them to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a bill that would have extended the GAMC program. Read more »

GAMC showdown: Can the House muster enough votes to override the governor?

February 19, 2010

by Paul Demko, Politics in Minnesota, Feb. 19,2010. The GAMC bill passed in both legislative chambers by overwhelming margins. But almost immediately after Pawlenty’s decision to veto the legislation was announced, House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers issued a statement promising Republican unanimity in backing the governor’s decision. Read more »

Health care aid for poor vetoed

February 19, 2010

By Jeremy Olson, Pioneer Press Feb. 19, 2010. The Minnesota House and Senate on Thursday approved legislation to restore the state's General Assistance Medical Care program for poor, childless adults, but Gov. Tim Pawlenty quickly vetoed the plan. Read more »

Eliminating GAMC would cost the state more than passing the proposed legislation

February 15, 2010

People may not realize all the costs that would result from eliminating GAMC. HealthPartners Director of Government Affairs Geoff Bartsh details the consequences on WCCO-TV's Sunday morning newscast. Click "Read more" to watch the video. Read more »

Help for people with mental illness reduces suffering—and costs

February 12, 2010

by Michael Trangle, MD, associate medical director of the behavioral health division of HealthPartners Medical Group and Regions Hospital, Pioneer Press, Feb. 12, 2010. Coverage for mental health treatment and medication is the best way to prevent crisis that require emergency rooms and jails. Read more »

Benjamin Whitten: State is asking health providers to absorb the costs of GAMC

February 12, 2010

by Benjamin Whitten, M.D., president of the Minnesota Medical Association, Feb. 12, 2010. The MMA believes that new, broad-based revenues are needed to preserve high-quality, accessible health care for Minnesotans. Read more »

Campaign News

Two-thirds smaller, Minnesota’s GAMC survives

GAMC bill better than none, but not enough

Reinventing care for poor means relying less on ER

Editorial: A cut with reform beats a cut alone

As hearings begin on GAMC pact, providers and advocates for the poor analyze its implications

State Capitol deal reached to continue health care for poor

Court fight ahead for governor’s GAMC plan?

GAMC negotiations: ‘Accountable care organizations’ proposed to deliver health care to the poor

Editorial: More at stake than health care in GAMC negotiations

There’s word that there’s a bi-partisan deal in the works on GAMC

Amid prayers and passionate speeches, House override effort on GAMC fails on party-line vote

Don’t think you’ll ever need GAMC? Meet some of the people who do.