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State Representative Michael Beard
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8872
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
GAMC
To the editor:
For the last several weeks there has been a debate swirling around St. Paul regarding the future of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). The program provides medical coverage to some of the poorest Minnesotans and the entitlements were set to expire on April 1. The program’s costs have been growing at astonishingly unsustainable levels, and the Governor put an end to it as a part of his unallotments last year to balance the budget.
A bill passed the House in February extending GAMC benefits another 16 months. The bill offered minimal reform, and its author even admitted it was far from perfect. I voted for the bill in good faith as a starting point to continue negotiations. It was my hope the bill would be further reworked in conference committee (as is generally the case) and return to the House floor. Unfortunately, the Senate pushed the bill immediately through to the Governor’s desk with no further negotiations.
Gov. Pawlenty vetoed the bill, and I upheld the veto with my Republican colleagues as a way to continue the discussion and work toward a bill that constitutes real reform. I felt we were presented with two equally undesirable options and told to choose: no coverage for GAMC patients or a bill with minimal reform. Even the Majority Leader said this was our only choice, but I’m glad he was wrong.
I’m glad to say members of both parties and the Governor’s office have agreed to terms on a new, nation-leading reform that will save the state more than $700 million over the next two years while still providing coverage to the low-income Minnesotans who relied on GAMC. The focus for too long had been on saving a program when it should have been on providing coverage for those who need it. GAMC was bloated, inefficient and projected to cost Minnesota $928 million next biennium. It was growing at rates that could risk bankrupting our state. The new plan is smarter, more efficient and far less expensive—just the kind of solution you sent me here to help find.
The details of the bill are still being discussed, but it should be voted on soon. It is exciting to see what we can accomplish when we make a stand for real reform.
Sincerely,
Mike Beard
State Representative
District 35A
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