GAMC “SOLUTION” WAS NO SOLUTION AT ALL
Backroom deal would shortchange rural hospitals
ST. PAUL, MN - After fighting to restore General Assistance
Medical Care (GAMC) and adequate reimbursement rates for rural
hospitals, state Rep. Andrew Falk (DFL - Murdock) voted against a
so-called compromise GAMC fix last week. Falk voted against the bill
(HF2680) because it would severely shortchange rural hospitals.
“The Governor took a program that was working, and eliminated
it,” said Rep. Falk. “Then he vetoed a bipartisan, common sense
solution to restore GAMC that would have covered more people at a lower
cost. What was left was a shadow of reform from a backroom deal that
simply won’t work in rural Minnesota. That’s why I voted against
it.”
Watered-down GAMC legislation that came before the House last
week would severely under-fund rural hospital reimbursements for
uncompensated care. Here’s how the original bipartisan solution that
passed 125-9 would have funded local hospitals compared to the final
version Rep. Falk voted against:
Hospital 1st
Solution Watered-Down Bill
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Appleton Municipal Hospital $8,500
$5,813
Swift County Benson Hospital $9,341
$39,469
Sioux Valley Canby Campus $8,500
$4,233
Johnson Memorial in Dawson $8,500
$3,643
Holy Trinity in Graceville $8,500
$1,361
Hendricks Community Hospital $8,500
$4,540
Madison Hospital $9,341
$17,673
Ortonville Health Services $9,341
$12,134
Tyler Healthcare Center $9,341
$5,330
“Local rural hospitals are literally the lifelines of our
communities,” said Rep. Falk. “If someone has a farm accident or a
heart attack, we depend on our hospitals for life-saving care. But more
than that, we depend on the good-paying jobs our hospitals provide.
“I could not, in good conscience, vote for a proposal that I
knew in my heart would have hurt our local hospitals.”
Fri Apr 02, 2010 7:43 am
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