Aug 9, 2009 12:10 am US/Central
Homeless Speak Out Against Pawlenty's Health Cuts
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
-
-
It looks much different than the discussion did at the state Capitol, or the one going on in Washington. But, on the streets of Minneapolis the health care conversation is no less important.
CBS
The Twin Cities homeless are banding together to fight back against health care cuts. For weeks, they've been telling their stories to camera crews across the metro. They're hoping their message on YouTube will get Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty's attention.
It looks much different than the discussion did at the state Capitol, or the one going on in Washington. But, on the streets of Minneapolis the health care conversation is no less important.
Josh Lange is the Human Rights Program Director at St. Stephen's in Minneapolis. The group has been interviewing the Twin Cities homeless for weeks.
"This is a way to get that voice out that isn't getting out in any other way," said Lange.
This past legislative session, Pawlenty ended the General Assistance Medical Care program. GAMC covers most homeless Minnesotans. They'll lose that coverage come March.
"People on anti-psychotic meds who are trying to figure out, 'Well do I wean myself off? How do I do that?' People with diabetes [who need to take] insulin. These [are] real life or death issues. They're scared," said Lange.
Elssa Cardenez was on GAMC for more than a year. It paid for her drug treatment. She's been clean and off the streets for 16 months.
"I would just hate for the cuts to be done and not have other people get out of it the way I did," Cardenez worried.
Hennepin County Medical Center sees the most patients on GAMC in Minnesota. It covers 10 percent of the hospital's budget. Of the patients on the program getting treatment at the hospital, 30 percent are homeless.
Michael Harristhal worries it will drive up cost for everyone if the program ends.
"It was conceived as a way to save costs but unless we come up with a better solution it actually could result in higher costs to the system," said Harristhal.
Hospitals are afraid patients will wait until their health gets worse and end up in the emergency room.
"People aren't going to stop getting sick when their health care runs out. They're not going to stop getting injured on the streets, they're not going to stop having mental health issues," said Lange.
That's why St. Stephen's won't stop until they have a thousand interviews for the governor, as they go beyond a paper petition to show the people in uncertainty.
More than 30,000 Minnesotans are covered right now by GAMC. Pawlenty has said once it ends, other programs should cover them. But, opponents say different programs have higher costs and those programs need more money if they're going to cover new patients.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Franken's Bill: Service Dogs For Vets
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
