Health Care

The unequal distribution of health in the Twin Cities

The disparities existing today in health outcomes and income should be a concern for all in our region. Income inequality, with persistent disparities between whites and people of color, contradicts our most deeply held values. Minnesotans believe that hard work should pay off, that people who work full-time should be able to support their families, and that everyone who is willing to work should have the opportunity to succeed. Gaps like those in the Twin Cities today make people distant from each other. That distance undermines our sense of shared destiny. It weakens trust in our public institutions.

General Assistance Medical Care: Unique program serves a unique population

General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) was initially established in 1975 to provide health care coverage for very low-income adults without dependent children. It is a state-funded program that fills in the gap for adults, aged 21 to 64, who do not qualify for other public health care programs. In 2008, an average of 28,000 Minnesotans were enrolled in GAMC each month, or 70,000 over the course of the year. More than 40 percent of enrollees are people of color.

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP): Keeping Minnesotans healthy

Why It Matters: SCHIP Keeps Minnesota's Children and Parents Healthy Nearly 40,000 Minnesotans, including children, pare...

Tough decisions in the 2008 Legislative Session leave even tougher choices for 2009