Legislators returning for their first day of session were greeted by a rally of more than 500 demonstrators in the Capitol Rotunda. They came from a wide range of backgrounds, including labor, faith, health-care, veterans, community and advocacy groups. Demonstrators held up photos of people who would lose medical services as they delivered one unified message: Save GAMC.

After Gov. Pawlenty unilaterally eliminated funding for General Assistance Medical Care last spring, the House failed to override his veto. That action and inaction wipes out the program effective March 31.

At any one time, GAMC provides medical insurance of last resort for more than 30,000 of the state’s poorest residents. They have a typical income of $203 a month. In the course of a year, more than 70,000 state residents use GAMC.

The decision by Pawlenty and his allies also denies hundreds of millions of dollars in reimbursements to hospitals throughout the state. The three hospitals that provide the most GAMC care – Hennepin County Medical Center, Regions Hospital in St. Paul and Fairview University Medical Center – expect to lose $180 million in GAMC payments. Those hospitals employ more than 3,000 AFSCME members.

The Pawlenty administration says it will automatically transfer GAMC patients to Minnesota Care. However, skeptics say many GAMC enrollees will not qualify for Minnesota Care and will not be able to afford the out-of-pocket costs. Others say a flood of new enrollees will bankrupt Minnesota Care, which is designed to provide affordable health insurance for working families who have no other way of obtaining it.

DFL legislators are proposing a temporary fix to salvage GAMC, but their plan has been criticized as inadequate and for pushing too many costs onto counties and providers.

Advocates of restoring GAMC say they will maintain a daily presence at the Capitol until the problem is solved. AFSCME Council 5 will push the issue during Day on the Hill Feb. 17. AFSCME is urging legislators to raise the revenue necessary to restore GAMC and other vital services.