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Inside
“In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular.”
■ It’s our 20 anniversary!–pg 3 ■ ADA staffing dispute–pg 5 ■ Be counted–pg 6 th
— Kathleen Norris
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Volume 21, Number 2
Minnesota’s Disability
Community Newspaper
February 10, 2010
One month reprieve
GAMC still vulnerable by Jane McClure General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), which provides health care coverage for Minnesota’s poorest residents, will end April 1, not March 1 as previously planned. The Minnesota Department of Human Services announced the delay in late January. Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Human Services Commissioner, Cal Ludeman announced that state funding is available for the GAMC program until April 1 and eligible enrollees can continue on the program through March 31. “This extra month of GAMC coverage is possible because program costs and new enrollment were lower than projected,” Pawlenty said. “The extension means that people can remain on GAMC through March and then will automatically be transitioned to MinnesotaCare.” Now that the change will take place a month later, Ludeman said the transition process for approximately
28,000 enrollees now on GAMC will be the same as announced in November. No action will be required on the part of these enrollees, who will receive a notice from DHS about the transition. New applicants otherwise eligible for GAMC can apply for MinnesotaCare at their local county office. “Transitioning people on GAMC to MinnesotaCare maintains health care coverage for enrollees,” said Ludeman. “We continue to work with counties, providers, community agencies and faith-based organizations to help enrollees through the transition.” DHS has held a number of briefings and community meetings to share information about the process. The prospect of even a brief reprieve hasn’t slowed efforts by state lawmakers, health care professionals and advocates for GAMC clients to find an interim replacement for
GAMC. Supporters of the program, including many disability rights advocates, planned to rally when the 2010 legislative session convened Feb. 4. Holding a rally at the start of session is unusual but it underscores the intense efforts underway to replace GAMC. Pawlenty eliminated the program in spring 2009, indicating that recipients could be moved to other state-run programs. But some state lawmakers say that would bankrupt other health care programs and put more people at risk. On Jan. 12 Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, unveiled her ideas for a 16month replacement for GAMC. She said the hope is to have something in place before GAMC ends. Sixteen months from now the new federal health care reform Medicaid laws could cover GAMC patients, Berglin told the committee. But that is GMAC - cont. on p. 11
Health care reform was a theme at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in St. Paul Jan. 18. More pictures can be seen at www.accesspress.org
Disability groups converge on capitol with numerous ideas by Joe Kimball Concerns about how the Minnesota Legislature will handle the state’s massive budget deficit—and how that will affect people with disabilities —dominated a legislative forum Jan. 12 organized by the Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD). With the session’s start on Feb. 4, organizations have been hurrying to get priorities in place and bills introduced. Rep. Thomas Huntley, DFLDuluth, chair of the Health Care and Human Services Finance Division, said the state’s $1.2 billion projected deficit, plus new legal questions about the governor’s $400 million unallotment process in 2009, will mean even more cuts to programs for people with disabilities. “This is supposed to be a short session, to handle a bonding bill and some budget fixes, so there will be no COLAs or cost-of-living
raises. And there are going to be more cuts,” he said. Some good news, Huntley said, will come when the federal health care bill is resolved by Congress. He expects some higher Medical Assistance payments for the state. But that may be one of few bright spots. Rep. Larry Hosch, DFL-St. Joseph, said those in the disability community must be active at the capitol this session, to remind lawmakers of their needs and concerns. “It’s inevitable that there will be difficult cuts, whether though legislation or through unal-lotment,” he said. “Participation is vital ... There’s nothing better than seeing people in halls of the capitol and the State Office Building, making sure you don’t get forgotten.” Anne Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center, said the session looks “dismal” and
the following biennium looks even worse. And cuts from the last session are still taking effect. “Many of the services people with disabilities need are paid for by public funds, so we’re always in the crosshairs,” she said. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been cuts from home and community waivers since 2002, including $42 million last session and then $14 million more from the governor’s unallotment. More than 7,000 Minnesotans are affected by cuts to personal care assistants (PCA), with 500 to 600 people eliminated from the program and an additional 6,500 people seeing cuts in hours. People with cognitive brain injuries and mental illness are among those most affected. The cuts were made by state lawmakers in 2009 and began taking effect recently. “The current state deficit
means even more cuts,” Henry said. “We need to protect those already hurting. An increase in revenue—[increasing taxes] —seems unlikely, but we have to talk about it. We have to find a balanced and reasonable approach.” Many organizations that advocate for people with disabilities discussed their priorities for the coming session. Since the 2009 session ended, many disability and senior advocacy groups have focused on damage control and retaining what services and funding the communities have. However, Bruce Nelson, Association of Residential Resources in Minnesota, noted that while damage control is important, personal contact is needed with legislators throughout session. Otherwise, groups will continue to lose and people will be hurt. Nelson also reminded those present Jan. 12 that budget de-
cisions will be political. It’s important for legislators to go back and tell constituents about the good things they did. One group overseeing multiple legislative agendas and carrying a long list of its own priorities is the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN CCD). More than 100 groups and service providers belong to the MN CCD. Anni Simmons of MN CCD said, the coalition has 65 areas to work on, including these priorities: • Monitor transportation omnibus bill for accessibility and support Complete Streets Coalition to make streets more usable for all. • Monitor hiring goals progress and look into accommodation pools that would improve state hiring prospects. • Safe schools initiative and awareness of anti-bullying
efforts, a bill that was vetoed last year. • Restore funding for Region 10 Quality Assurance. The Mission of the Region 10 Quality Assurance Commission is to develop and implement a person-centered process that significantly enhances the quality of life for persons with developmental disabilities. This process is to be person-driven and responsive, assuring basic safety while promoting continuous improvement in the system and the service it provides. But the program had its funding cut. Other groups outlined their priorities Jan. 12. Sue Abderholden, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said that restoring General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) is a top priority because 70 percent of those enrolled have CAPITOL- cont. on p. 11