Restore Health Care Coverage to People Losing General Assistance Medical Care
Update: The Legislature and Governor reached an agreement on March 5 to extend General Assistance Medical Care. Read the Star Tribune article.
General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), the state program that provides low-cost health care for 30,000 Mi
nnesotans at any given time, will end on April 1, 2010. During the 2009 legislative session, funding was line-item vetoed, then further unallotted by Governor Pawlenty. Read how this cut hurts real Minnesotans.
During the 2010 legislative session, the legislature passed a bill to maintain GAMC with some reforms. The Governor vetoed this legislation the same day. The Minnesota Senate overrode the veto, but on March 1, the
Minnesota House of Representatives failed to override the veto.
A solution for the GAMC crisis is absolutely necessary, even in
desperate economic times. A “new” and reformed GAMC program must meet the needs of this vulnerable
population. Any solution to the GAMC crisis must not come at the
expense of other programs that assist people living in poverty.
Transitioning GAMC enrollees onto MinnesotaCare is unsatisfactory because MinnesotaCare has higher premiums, co-pay costs and a $10,000 hospitalization cap. These GAMC enrollees live on $7,800 a year or less, often only $203 a month.
According to Minnesota Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman, GAMC serves “the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick,” including hundreds of Catholic Charities clients. Nearly 80,000 Minnesotans access GAMC during the course of a year. Most are men (60%), most struggle with mental illness (70%) and/or chemical dependency, and many have chronic physical disabilities (40%). The health coverage provided by GAMC helps enrollees maintain housing stability, manage chronic and mental illnesses, access other supportive services and stay clear of the criminal justice system.
Legislative Priorities:
Ensure continued health care coverage for individuals currently enrolled in General Assistance Medical Care
- Support adequate funding to continue health care for this vulnerable population
Become an advocate for affordable health care coverage for poor Minnesotans
