Insure Missouri Proposals Emerge

Published: Friday, March 14, 2008

Legislators from both the House of Representatives and Senate have been meeting with the Gov. Matt Blunt ’s representatives to discuss the scope and design of legislation to expand coverage to the uninsured. The discussions have addressed not only coverage of lower-income uninsured Missourians but also those with higher incomes who are uninsurable because of their risk of needing costly medical treatment.

Recently, bills have been introduced in the Missouri General Assembly that will provide additional vehicles for debating the structure of Insure Missouri and other coverage initiatives. One of those bills, House Bill 2413, would expand coverage to uninsured working adults with household incomes of as much as 85 percent of the federal poverty level. Coverage could be extended to those with incomes of as much as 225 percent of the federal poverty level, if legislators appropriate funding. Individuals participating in the plan at higher income levels would be expected to contribute towards the cost of coverage based on their incomes. The bill also would make coverage more accessible and affordable to those with high-cost medical conditions.

We will keep you apprised of developments during the next several weeks as these negotiations proceed. We remain confident that opportunities for significant expansions of coverage for low-income Missourians will emerge from the 2008 session of the Missouri General Assembly.