Ward and Doty criticize Pawlenty decision on Medicaid

Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, and Rep. Al Doty, DFL criticized Gov. Tim Pawlenty's decision to not enroll low-income residents in Medicaid.

In a joint statement they said that beginning July 1 Minnesota taxpayers started losing close to $1 million every day as a result of Pawlenty's decision.

A provision in the recently passed federal health care bill gives Minnesota the opportunity to move individuals currently covered by state-funded General Assistance Medical Care and MinnesotaCare to Medicaid. Minnesota taxpayers will receive $1.4 billion from the federal government.

The lawmakers said St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd will lose an estimated $3,758,169 over three years, St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls will lose $884,277, and Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby will lose $840,061.

House health care leaders are planning an outstate tour of health care facilities in the coming weeks to examine more closely the impact of the new GAMC program on their facilities and patients, and whether early MA would be a better option.

"These are millions of our tax dollars that could be sent supporting health care jobs and services for people in our area," Doty said.

"With family budgets tight we need to do all we can to bring needed jobs and resources into our communities," Ward said . "Early MA is a deal too good to pass up when you consider our need to create jobs and turn our economy around."