The full Democratic House Caucus just concluded a press conference on the steps of the Capitol, standing together in opposition to the House Republicans' defeat of HB11.
“The ridiculousness of the House Republican position is exceeded only by its cruelty,” said Minority Leader Paul LeVota (D-Independence). “We had a rare opportunity to restore health coverage to 35,000 hard-working Missourians at no cost to state taxpayers. The majority instead tightened its grip around the same failed policies that have made health care less accessible and less affordable.”
“Associated Industries of Missouri, the state Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Hospital Association and Senate Republicans all know this is a good idea,” said state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia and the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. “Business groups understand the economic reality: If their workers are too ill to make it work, Missouri businesses don’t make money.”
The full release from the Minority Caucus is below the fold.
House GOP rejects health care restoration, jeopardizes budget
Defeated plan carried no cost to Missouri taxpayersJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On a near party-line vote, House Republicans on Wednesday torpedoed a proposal championed by House Democrats to restore health care coverage to 35,000 Missourians at no cost to state taxpayers. The Republican action jeopardizes final passage of the state operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year by Friday’s constitutional deadline.
During negotiations over the 13 appropriations bills that make up the budget, House Democrats and Senate negotiators from both parties secured inclusion of the health care restoration in House Bill 11, the appropriations measure for the Missouri Department of Social Services. The plan would have been the first step toward restoration of coverage to the more than 180,000 Missourians who lost health care access under cuts enacted by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in 2005.
“The ridiculousness of the House Republican position is exceeded only by its cruelty,” said House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence. “We had a rare opportunity to restore health coverage to 35,000 hard-working Missourians at no cost to state taxpayers. The majority instead tightened its grip around the same failed policies that have made health care less accessible and less affordable.”
House Republicans’ rejected HB 11 on a 75-85 vote with only four Republicans joining a unified House Democratic Caucus in supporting the bill. House and Senate budget negotiators must now draft a new version of the bill. The $7.47 billion in spending contained in HB 11 accounts for about one-third of the overall state budget. Under the Missouri Constitution, both chambers must approve the final appropriations bills by 6 p.m. on Friday. If the deadline is not met, lawmakers will be forced to reconvene in a costly special legislative session to finish the budget.
The proposed health care restoration called for increasing the Medicaid eligibility threshold for adults to 50 percent of the federal poverty level from the current 20 percent. The plan would have allowed parents in a family of four who earn $11,025 a year to qualify. Currently, those parents can earn no more than $4,410 a year to be eligible. For a single parent with two children, the eligibility cap would have increased to $9,155 a year from the current $3,700.
The plan would have cost Missouri taxpayers nothing as the Missouri Hospitals Association had agreed to pay the state’s share increasing the eligibility threshold. This would have allowed the state to leverage an additional $93 million in federal matching funds to cover the rest of the cost.
Missouri hospitals supported this plan because it is less costly to them than providing uncompensated care to the poor through emergency room visits. Traditionally Republican business groups also endorsed this proporsal as it would have reduced overall health care costs.
“Associated Industries of Missouri, the state Chamber of Commerce, the Missouri Hospital Association and Senate Republicans all know this is a good idea,” said state Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia and the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. “Business groups understand the economic reality: If their workers are too ill to make it work, Missouri businesses don’t make money.”
The final version of the overall $23.11 billion state operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 also omits a proposed extension of health care coverage to more than 20,000 Missouri children. Improving access to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program had been a top priority this year for both House Democrats and Gov. Jay Nixon.
“It is disheartening that the majority would choose not to provide essential services to children during the roughest economic times most of us have experienced,” said state Rep. Kiki Curls, D-Kansas City and a member of the House budget negotiating team. “It is truly unbelievable.”
For more information contact: Rep. Paul LeVota at (573) 751-9759
