[Missouri-l] Fwd: [Modisabilaw] Health Coverage for Low Income Adults

[Chip Hailey]

>From: "Marty Exline" <mexline at swbell.net>
>To: "MO Disability Policy/Law Listserv" <modisabilaw at lists.mo.gov>
>Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 08:04:23 -0500
>Subject: [Modisabilaw] Health Coverage for Low Income Adults
>
>As the legislature passed Missouri's $23 billion budget Thursday, 
>among the most vocal disagreements was the issue of restoring 
>healthcare coverage to about 34,000 low-income adults who earn from 
>about 20% to 50% of poverty (an income of about $368 to $919 per 
>month for a family of four).
>
>The House refused to pass the appropriation unless it was tied to 
>passing SB306, which will be taken up by the House today (Monday). 
>The current version of SB306 is very different from the restoration 
>proposed by the Governor back in January.  Rather than restoring 
>coverage through HealthNet, the bill would set up a new program that 
>would focus on coverage through the private market and have time 
>limits on how long a recipient could be covered. It would aim at 
>persons with pre-existing conditions being able to access Missouri's 
>"high risk pool" while one of the focuses of HealthNet is on 
>preventive care. These and other issues regarding the bill's 
>implementation, cost-effectiveness, the number of individuals who 
>would be covered, and other issues will be debated during the 
>session's last week. If the bill passes the House it will likely end 
>up in a House/Senate Conference Committee. It is questionable 
>whether a compromise can be worked out before the session ends on Friday.
>
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