[MMA News Now, September 1, 2010] Robert Meiches, M.D., CEO of the Minnesota Medical Associationtatement, Julie Brunner, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, and Lawrence Massa, president of the Minnesota Hospital Association issued a statement Tuesday in response to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's actions to hinder the state's ability to receive federal health care dollars.

The statement:

We are extremely disappointed Gov. Pawlenty decided not to apply for money that will help Minnesota plan how to best implement health care changes. In the past, the Governor signed comprehensive health reform legislation in Minnesota with many of the same objectives as this federal legislation. We supported these objectives for the state and we support them federally. Gov. Pawlenty’s decision leaves Minnesota at an enormous disadvantage. While the federal law outlines topics, each state has broad discretion in how to implement the work. The topics for state action include:

• Developing health improvement and prevention programs aimed at slowing the rising cost of health care by reducing use of tobacco, reducing obesity rates, and averting the onset of chronic disease.
• Improving care delivered to patients by working to better coordinate and integrate care during and after hospitalizations.
• Planning for the future, which could include creating a new way to pay Medicaid claims and studying new ways in which Minnesotans can easily compare and purchase health.

There seemed to be agreement that this work was important this past year when the Legislature passed and Gov. Pawlenty signed legislation requiring the state to apply for these dollars to begin evaluating what works under federal health reform. Gov. Pawlenty has even said that Minnesotans historically send far more money to Washington than they get back. So when there’s a chance to get a little back, take it, he said.
The governor’s decision just doesn’t make sense for Minnesotans.
 

The Star Tribune quoted the statement in its article about Pawlenty signing the 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 law 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.