St. Cloud Hospital may opt out of GAMC program
by Jim Maurice, WJON.com

ST. CLOUD -- St. Cloud Hospital is considering not participating in new General Assistance Medical Care program -- if it gets signed into law.

Government Relations Director Dave Borgert says the bills shifts all of the responsibility away from the state and on to the hospital. He says they would be forced to pay for everything from ambulance rides to new eyeglasses -- even though they don't provide those services.

Borgert says, if they don't participate in G-A-M-C, they'll still care for people enrolled in the program. However, they'll only be responsible for the services they actually provide.

St. Cloud Hospital currently losses about $4 million a year caring for people in the G-A-M-C program, that number would jump to about $18 million a year under the new bill.

State Representative Steve Gottwalt of St. Cloud says the bill is not a great bill, but it does put the program on a more sustainable footing.

The bill passed the Senate yesterday (Thursday) and a House vote is expected next week.