MINNEAPOLIS, February 25, 2010 – MMA CEO Robert Meiches, M.D., testified Thursday in opposition to Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s recent budget proposals to further dismantle Minnesota’s health care safety net.

Meiches told the Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division that the physicians of Minnesota strongly oppose MinnesotaCare eligibility cuts that would result in about 21,000 working Minnesotans losing health care coverage.

“Minnesota’s historic position of having the lowest rate of uninsured has already been lost and this proposal will result in a more significant drop – harming the health of thousands of individuals,” Meiches said.

Meiches also objected to proposed cuts to medical education and research (MERC). Pawlenty proposes siphoning $1 million to $1.5 million a year from MERC-dedicated cigarette tax proceeds to help balance the general fund.

Meiches also mentioned the MMA’s opposition to the following proposals:

• reducing the Statewide Health Improvement Program by $10 million or nearly 20 percent,
• withholding 3 percent of the funding provided to health plans that administer MinnesotaCare managed care plans. The MMA expects that health plans would ultimately offset lost funds by cutting clinic and doctor reimbursements,
• increasing licensing fees that fund the Board of Medical Practice by $185,000 to help balance the general fund, and
• making permanent Pawlenty’s unallotment decision to reduce non-primary care public program payment rates by 1.5 percent.

“As the MMA has previously stated our position is that the state’s budget problems must be confronted directly with a more balanced approach – one that both raises revenue and cuts spending,” Meiches said.