The Minnesota House could vote on a compromise proposal to restore General Assistance Medical Care as early as Wednesday.
The plan appears to have bipartisan support and the approval of Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The governor vetoed a different plan last month, forcing negotiators to reach a new agreement to restore the state-backed insurance program for low-income adults.
"That's a piece of bipartisan legislation that a lot of people put a lot of work into," said House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove. "This is a piece of legislation we should all be proud of."
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislation last week. Pawlenty sent a letter to lawmakers Tuesday asking them to pass it quickly. The program is set to expire April 1.
The governor's staff will meet with legislative health care negotiators Wednesday morning to discuss GAMC. DFLers continue to have concerns about how little money rural hospitals would get in the program.
House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher said a vote could come Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.
"We are committed to the reform ideas in that bill, but are somewhat concerned about the ability to deliver on the reform with the amount of money in the bill," she said.
