Nixon’s Statement on Gov. Blunt’s Latest Health Care Proposal

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"In 2005, Gov. Blunt slashed health care coverage from 400,000 Missourians, including more than 70,000 children. Since that time, he has turned down more than $1 billion in federal health care funding – sending this much-needed money to other states to pay for their health insurance. As a result, those Missourians lucky enough to still have coverage have seen their premiums skyrocket. Under Matt Blunt, Missouri's health care system has been in crisis. In just a few short years, we went from one of the best states in the nation on access to care to one of the worst.

"It's unfortunate that three years later, Governor Blunt is still unable to simply admit he was wrong and restore the cuts. Instead, he has put forward a misguided plan that has already failed in other states. It takes money directly from our poorest families and puts it in the pockets of the HMOs and big insurance companies. At this point, the Governor's latest health care initiative raises more questions than it answers.

"Restoring the cuts must be step one. Then, once the cuts are restored, we need to have a serious conversation about how to expand health coverage beyond only to those Missourians who lost it under Blunt – but to all Missourians, starting with our children.

"Other states are thinking bigger when it comes to health care. They're expanding health coverage to all children, or to all disabled citizens, or even to every resident of the state. Unfortunately, we're still debating ways to undo the damage caused by Governor Blunt – ways to bring us back to where we were three years ago. It's time to start moving forward."

http://www.jaynixon.com/news/?id=0052