2010-03-09 Last May, GAMC was included in the Governor’s unallotments. The total saved from eliminating the program was around $500 million. GAMC enrollees were to be enrolled in MinnesotaCare beginning in April 2010 unless suitable reforms were made to GAMC. The DFL majority presented, and passed, a GAMC “reform bill” (SF 2168) on February 18. The Governor vetoed it the same day. That bill did reduce costs for this biennium, but it contained no reforms to control its escalating cost for future budget cycles. Essentially, it re-established GAMC in its prior form, while reducing provider reimbursement rates by 50%. On March 1 the DFL-led
majority in the House attempted to override the Governor’s veto. The veto
override was presented as being one of two options. The other option, according
to the majority, was no health care for the less fortunate in Minnesota. According to them there was not going to be a
compromise. Fortunately, for all Minnesotans, a compromise was reached this past Friday. *One additional note: Without any reform the cost of GAMC next biennium (2012-13) would have been over $900 million. |
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