HCMC won't restrict access April 1

The Legislature and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are making progress on a health care funding bill for the state's poorest adults, so the state's largest safety net hospital is waiting on one planned cost-cutting move.

The board of the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis had planned to stop treating uninsured patients who don't live in the county starting April 1, although the emergency department would remain open to them.

Last year, the hospital treated 7,300 patients from 67 Minnesota counties who were either uninsured or covered by the state's General Assistance Medical Care program.

On Wednesday, HCMC vice president Mike Harristhal said the medical center won't make the change next week, but may do so in the future. It will partly depend on developments at the Legislature.

HCMC has been squeezed by rising costs for treating the uninsured.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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