Policies Backed by Blunt, Hulshof Lead to Unnecessary Missouri Deaths

The News-Leader provides some coverage of a new report from a national health care advocacy organization, and the news is terribly sad:

Nearly 10 working-age adults in Missouri die each week because they don't have health insurance, according to a new report by Families USA, a national organization for health care consumers. The report was released Wednesday....

The study showed 18,000 U.S. adults died in 2000 due to lack of health insurance, Pollack said. A subsequent study by the Urban Institute showed that 22,000 adults died in 2006 for lack of health insurance.

The report shares the fact that, "Between 2000 and 2006, an estimated 2,800 Missouri adults ages 25-64 died because they didn't have health insurance."  The full report is online here.

It is worth noting, of course, that the defining public policy choice of Matt Blunt's term as governor was the decision to cut more than 100,000 Missourians off from health insurance.  Similarly disturbing is that the man who hopes to succeed him, Kenny Hulshof, voted against legislation that would have provided coverage to 56,000 Missouri children via the S-CHIP program. 

How many of those denied access to insurance by Blunt and Hulshof will join the 2,800 who've already died in the last few years for lack of coverage?