GAMC Facts
- What is General Assistance Medical Care? GAMC is Minnesota’s public health insurance program for the state’s poorest adults.
- How many people are on the program? In 2008, more than 77,000 Minnesotans used the program - with an average of 35,000 at any given time.
- Who uses the program? Many of the adults who qualify for General Assistance Medical Care are living on $203 per month. That is not enough income to pay for rent, food and clothing - much less health insurance premiums. Most are men (60%), most struggle with mental illness (70%) and/or chemical dependency, and many have chronic physical disabilities (40%).
Why should we save GAMC?
- GAMC provides health care, medications, and mental health services to people living in poverty and crisis.
- Health care is essential to stability in the community. With health care, necessary medicine, and the other services provided by GAMC, people can maintain housing, employment, and relationships with their friends and families.
- The decision to eliminate GAMC impacts all of us. Institutions that we, our families, friends and neighbors all use - hospitals, community clinics and community mental health centers - will cut back or eliminate services, lay off staff (estimated 4,220 jobs lost) and/or increase the cost of their services. Hospitals throughout Minnesota will lose at least $211 million dollars a year as unreimbursed costs escalate.