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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
GAMC AGREEMENT MAY BE OUNCE OF PREVENTION, BUT NO POUND OF CURE
The House took action this week on the GAMC (General Assistance Medical Care) "fix" that has been talked about this session. If you remember, the Governor vetoed this health care coverage for the poorest and sickest Minnesotans last session, and proposed as an alternative to auto-enroll this population into MinnesotaCare. This was problematic for a number of reasons. To begin with, many of the enrollees in GAMC cannot afford the premiums or the co-pays associated with MinnesotaCare. Additionally, by adding as many as 85,000 GAMC recipients to MinnesotaCare over the course of a year, as many as 21,000 working adults without children would be pushed out. These additional numbers would also bankrupt the Health Care Access Fund, which was created for the very purpose of providing affordable health insurance for working Minnesotans.
The veto was also a cut in payments to hospitals, and a subsequent increase in the cost of insurance premiums and health care for everyone, higher property taxes, and a loss of jobs.
After months of diligent work, a plan was designed to extend coverage, reimburse hospitals for at least a portion of their costs of treating GAMC patients, and save taxpayers money. Despite the fact this solution passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, the Governor vetoed the bill, leaving this population uninsured as of April 1 unless a new agreement could be reached.
The final legislation was not the bi-partisan legislation that was previously agreed to and voted in support of by the majority of House members. Instead it was the version that was agreed to between senate and house leadership and the Governor. Although the majority of the House members voted in support of this bill, my vote was no.
With every vote we need to consider the good and the bad, the consequences and the benefits. I felt this bill did not reach the threshold to earn my support. I was able to communicate with Austin Medical Center to learn more about their concerns and although they understand this might be the best outcome they could expect at this time, I determined the consequences of acting at this point with too many unknowns and too little money did not justify a yes vote. There are concerns which were voiced on the House floor by the negotiators on this bill which indicate there is grave concern that this fix will not be able to be sustained. I continue to believe the original bi-partisan bill contained the right formula of reform and restructure that would have been a better option. As one of my colleagues said after the vote - this is really an ounce of prevention but it certainly is not a pound of cure.
On another matter before the House this week, I carried a bill for Mower County which would allow them the ability to make the position of County Recorder an appointed office not an elected one. They are concerned the current office holder will seek to retire and they would like to have the opportunity to hire the person rather than hold an election to determine our next recorder. I have already received emails concerning the giving away of the rights of voters. This is now the time for the public to become engaged! The legislation gives Mower County permission to appoint rather than elect but it does not make them do so. If the citizens of Mower County oppose this they should now contact the county board members and voice their opposition.
Please continue to contact me with your questions and concerns. You can contact me by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 487 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn. If you would like to stay more closely in touch with what is happening at the legislature, visit my website at http://www.house.mn/27B or the House of Representatives website at www.house.mn.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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