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State Representative John Ward
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4333
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
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HOUSE PASSES SOLUTION TO CARE FOR POOR, SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota House passed compassionate, common sense legislation today to provide health care to the poorest and sickest Minnesotans who will soon lose their coverage under General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) as a result of the Governor’s veto. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support, on a vote of 125-9.
State Rep. John Ward said the solution passed today creates a temporary, low-cost, reformed GAMC. It will cover 85,000 Minnesotans over the 16 months, most of whom make under $3,000 a year, including 8,000 veterans. Eighty percent of this population suffer from mental illness, chemical dependency, or other chronic diseases.
“If we did this for these people alone, it would still be worth it," said Ward. “What we are also getting with this bill, however, is more money for our local hospital than the Governor’s plan, and a huge savings for taxpayers.”
St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd will get nearly $2 million over the next 16 months under this plan, compared to $437,000 under the Governor’s plan. The House bill is also $200 million cheaper for taxpayers than what the Governor has proposed.
Rep. Ward said that in light of the state’s ongoing budget deficits, this legislation also includes cost saving reform measures, something the Governor said would be required before he could sign the bill.
“Under the original GAMC, the state paid $817 each month for every person enrolled in GAMC, and the Governor’s proposal to auto-enroll these folks in MinnesotaCare would cost the state $937 per person every month,” said Ward. “Our bill costs $457 per person each month – a significant savings.”
The solution came after months of work by members of the House, and has the support of hospitals, providers, members of the faith community and citizens.
“Minnesotans expect us to solve serious problems,” said Ward. “I’m proud to vote for this GAMC fix, and believe it meets our goal of providing basic care for sick Minnesotans, while at the same time saving taxpayer dollars.”
News Items
- 2013 Legislative Session Preview - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 8:39AM)
- Assistant Majority Leader Rep. John Ward Sworn-In as Legislative Session Starts - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 2:39PM)
- Rep. John Ward Elected Assistant Majority Leader and Selected to Serve as Vice Chair of Capital Investment Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-19 00:00:00)
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