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State Representative Jerry Newton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5369
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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REP. NEWTON STANDS UP FOR VETERANS, POOR MINNESOTANS
ST. PAUL, MN – With 8,000 of Minnesota’s poorest, sickest veterans at risk of losing their health care, retired Sergeant Major and state Representative Jerry Newton (DFL – Coon Rapids) voted to restore General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) this week at the state Capitol in St. Paul.
“I served with many of these men in Vietnam," Rep. Newton said during the debate on the House floor. “We have to make sure that we take care of these people.”
Those 8,000 veterans, and 30,000 other Minnesotans who make less than $8,000 per year, are currently enrolled in the GAMC program – a state measure that reimburses hospitals for impoverished Minnesotans without health insurance.
Governor Pawlenty vetoed the program last year. Ever since, the Legislature has been working together to find a solution that would responsibly and affordably restore GAMC.
“We have a moral responsibility to care for the least among us, and a fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers of Minnesota to pass a solution that is cost effective and makes sense,” said Rep. Newton.
Months of hard work seemed to pay off last week when 125 members of the House voted with broad, bipartisan support to pass a solution that cost less money and covered more people than an alternative plan offered by the Governor. It would provide care to 38,000 per month at a cost of $457 per enrollee for sixteen months.
But Governor Pawlenty vetoed that bill, opting instead for a plan that would enroll former GAMC recipients in a MinnesotaCare insurance program for working families. That plan would provide care to only 21,000 Minnesotans per month at a cost of $937 per enrollee for only six months.
The House tried to override that decision today, but that effort was not successful.
“Now we’re looking at a program that costs taxpayers more, shortchanges our hospitals, and covers fewer people,” Newton said. “This is a lose-lose situation for all Minnesotans.”
Rep. Newton says that even though tens of thousands of Minnesota’s poorest, sickest people will no longer have health insurance, they will still keep showing up at hospitals. Doctors are required ethically and legally to treat these patients. But without a proper reimbursement process, those costs will get passed on in the form of higher property taxes and higher premiums for those patients who do have insurance.
“Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids is going to lose $3 million in reimbursement payments under the Governor’s auto-enrollment plan,” said Rep. Newton.
“That is a serious blow to our community because it means layoffs and increased insurance premiums. That’s why I’ll keep doing everything I can to pass a more responsible, affordable solution for our hospitals, our veterans, and Minnesota taxpayers.”
News Items
- LOCAL LAWMAKERS HELP DELIVER NEEDED RELIEF TO FLOOD, TORNADO VICTIMS - (Posted: 2010-10-19 00:00:00)
- REP. NEWTON STANDS UP FOR SCHOOLS - (Posted: 2010-05-12 00:00:00)
- A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL KIDS TO PLAY - (Posted: 2010-04-21 00:00:00)
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