[MMA News Now, August 31, 2010] The MMA opposes a decision by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to order the state government to not participate in programs or projects related to federal health care reform.

On Tuesday, Pawlenty signed Executive Order 10-12 directing state agencies to decline all discretionary participation in the federal health care reform legislation.

The governor’s order directs all executive branch departments and agencies not to submit applications to the federal government in connection with requests for grant funding for programs and demonstration projects deriving from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act unless otherwise required by law or approved by the Governor’s office.

The office of the governor will evaluate federal funding opportunities on the basis of whether they will support existing state initiatives or programs, or whether such federal funding opportunities create new encroachments by the federal government under the recently passed federal legislation.

The MMA has been urging Pawlenty to leverage the federal health care reform legislation to provide more resources for Minnesota. The MMA supports shifting enrollees in the failing General Assistance Medical Program to Medical Assistance, an option made possible by the federal reform law. With early Medicaid, Minnesota's $188 million investment would result in $1.4 billion in federal funds returning to the state.

In early August, the MMA also pledged support for Minnesota’s application to be a part of the Medicare Multi-payer Advance Primary Care Practice demonstration, which would potentially allow Minnesota to include Medicare enrollees in its health care home initiative.