Smart concept then, smart concept now
More than 30 years ago, the Minnesota Legislature created General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) to avoid shifting the cost of providing care for the poorest Minnesotans to those who have health care coverage. Costs shifting means higher premiums and co-pays and costs for the people who have insurance through their employer or elsewhere.
Hospitals at breaking point
Minnesota hospitals already provide $462 million in uncompensated care. Hennepin County Medical Center and Regions Hospital are the only hospitals obligated by law by the state to provide care for the poorest Minnesotans, regardless of whether the hospitals are reimbursed for that care.