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| Clients Concerned About GAMC Cuts
Catholic Charities’ clients who use General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) voiced their grievances about the elimination of the program during a presentation at Branch III August 11.
The event, hosted by Catholic Charities’ Office for Social Justice, included two state legislators who spoke to those affected and pledged their support in fighting the elimination of GAMC.
State Sen. Scott Dibble, who represents the area of Minneapolis where Branch III resides, said the cuts will devastate the people who rely on GAMC for health care services. Cutting the program “was wrong-headed and mean spirited,” he said, “and we’ll work with those most affected to turn this thing around.”
Gov. Tim Pawlenty used a line-item veto to cut GAMC from the state budget in June in an attempt to fix a $4.6 billion shortfall. The cut will affect about 33,000 of Minnesota’s poorest adults.
Proponents of the cut say that 75 percent of GAMC patients qualify for MinnesotaCare – health care for low-income, working adults – or other state insurance programs, and won’t have to worry about the end of GAMC. But many GAMC patients live on only $203 a month, and cannot afford MinnesotaCare’s more expensive premiums.
 Some who came to the event expressed their anger about the possibility of losing their health care. One man began to cry as he described his fear of losing his health care coverage and another (who chose to remain anonymous) said eliminating health care for Minnesota’s poorest adults represents a massive injustice. “And I just can’t stand and watch these people being wronged,” he said.
Clients also spoke to attorneys from the Legal Services Advocacy Project and representatives from the Office for Social Justice about how the elimination of GAMC will affect them. With the potential loss of health care looming over their heads, several of them had grave concerns about what will happen to them when the program expires next spring.
Kenneth Jones of Minneapolis spoke with an attorney about the status of his health care because he wanted to make sure he would have coverage when GAMC expires. “They answered all my questions,” Jones said. “I didn’t think they’d be able to, because I had a lot of them, but they answered them all.”
Patrick Ness, public policy organizer for the office, said the meeting went well. “It sparked some good conversations,” he said. The office plans to host a similar event for Catholic Charities’ clients who receive services in St. Paul. Read Catholic Charities' blog
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