Watch the third and final segment in a series on Almanac about the elimination of General Assistance Medical Care program? Reporter Mary Lahammer talks to lawmakers and health care professionals about possible solutions. Read more »
WILLMAR — There’s a large collection of prescription medications on the countertop in Pix Erickson’s small kitchen. The medications help the 54-year-old Willmar woman deal with back pain that makes even walking difficult. “I’ve been going through hell for two years,” said Erickson, while sitting in the mobilized electric chair she uses in her home. Erickson has been under the coverage of General... Read more »
Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that they hope to save Minnesota's General Assistance Medical Care program, continuing coverage for about 35,000 low-income adults after state funding runs out in March. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration already plans to switch patients to another subsidized program, MinnesotaCare. But MinnesotaCare has limited coverage of hospital stays and requi... Read more »
Three influential DFLers unveiled a plan Thursday to restore state-sponsored health insurance for 36,000 of the poorest Minnesotans in a program that is set to end March 1 after a line-item veto by Gov. Tim Pawlenty last spring. The proposal was described as a temporary bridge to extend General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) for 16 months, until beneficiaries might become eligible for coverage. . . Read more »
A Star Tribune editorial says the search for a GAMC fix needs the Governor’s help. Legislators unveil scaled-down version of health care program. Read more »
Three key DFL legislators have come up with a temporary 16-month fix to restore some funding for General Assistance Medical Care for impoverished adults so that the program doesn’t run out of money March 1. Read more »
Regions Hospital is putting off plans to build a new behavioral health building, citing the revenue hits from state cutbacks to General Assistance Medical Care, reports KARE 11’s John Croman Read more »
In the second of a three part series on General Assistance Medical Care, the state program for the poorest Minnesotans, Alamanac's Mary Lahammer reports that you might be surprised to learn about the Minnesotans who rely on the program for health care coverage. Read more »
From the Rochester Post Bulletin: At a roundtable sponsored by several local nonprofits, Winona area lawmakers listened as health care providers, faith leaders and government workers warned that the cuts could have a drastic impact on the community. Read more »
From the Winona Daily News: The impending end of a state health care program for the poor could have dire consequences for those most at need, health officials told state lawmakers on December 7. Three state legislators - Sen. Sharon Ropes, DFL-Winona, Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, and Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona - visited Winona on Monday to hear local concerns about the ramifications of ending GAMC. Read more »
Count hundreds of construction workers among those hurt by Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s line-item veto of the state’s General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) health insurance program for the poor. Regions Hospital, which is facing millions of dollars in state funding cuts, indefinitely delayed plans to build a $36 million mental-health facility on its downtown St. Paul campus, a project the hospital said would have created about 650 construction jobs. Read more »
Last month, freelance creative designer Blair Fellman stared down a tall order from Hennepin County Medical Center. Though Fellman worked previously on the Save This Brain campaign to tout HCMC's brain injury programs, this time he was being asked to help preserve health care for the poor at the state's largest public safety-net hospital. Read more »
The ripple effect from the elimination of this program will affect the cost of health care and property taxes of middle class Minnesotans if we aren’t able to find a workable solution to provide health care for the poorest and sickest Minnesotans. Read more »
In Minnesota, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has struggled to close a record state budget deficit, including cutting funds for health care. Last winter, HCMC lost $12 million of state funding in a budget process known as unallotment. Next, the governor plans to eliminate General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), a relatively unusual state program that covers the very poor who are not eligible for Medicaid. Read more »
Our state's General Assistance Medical program is scheduled to go away early next year. This is the first of a three part series exploring state medical services to our Minnesota's poorest residents. Mary Lahammer starts off the series with some background on how we got to where we are. Read more »
The Hennepin County Medical Center, the state's largest safety net hospital, will close at least two clinics, eliminate more than 150 positions and restrict access to its non-emergency services under a budget approved Wednesday. Minnesota Hospital Association President Lawrence Massa said HCMC's troubles worry health care executives statewide because of the central role played by the medical center and the state's other big safety net hospital, Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Read more »
MinnesotaCare move still leaves hospitals undercompensated. Every week since a gubernatorial veto handed a death sentence to General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), the state's health care program for Minnesota's poorest citizens, St. Paul's Regions Hospital has been telling the stories of GAMC recipients. Read more »
MinnesotaCare isn't suitable health coverage for the very poor. Read more »
With a state health plan for the indigent about to be eliminated, most recipients will go on MinnesotaCare. County and hospital officials called the state's gesture a step in the right direction, but only a temporary fix and not a very effective one. Read more »
This spring, Gov. Tim Pawlenty unilaterally instituted budget reductions to vital state services, not the least of which will eliminate health insurance for more than 30,000 Minnesotans. Read more »