Health Care for the Uninsured is an Issue in Missouri

The author feels strongly about including the 300,000 needy for health insurance under an expanded Medicaid program funded by the federal government.

300,000 low – income people need help in getting health insurance in Missouri – USA. The legislature did not pass the expansion of the Medicaid program which is funded by the federal government.

Instead of reaching a compromise that would change and improve the Medicaid program and bring about the expansion along with the funds from the federal government, this initiative was blocked by a handful of Republican senators who refused to help the uninsured and ignored the impact it would have on the health care system and economy.

Worse Health, More Problems & Higher Costs Among Medicaid Patients
Patients covered by Medicaid come into their operations with worse health, do worse afterward, stay in the hospital longer and find themselves back in the hospital more often than those covered by private insurance.

Sen. John Lamping, along with Sen. Kurt Schaefer and a few others felt it was not their problem. It was a problem for the state as the cost of treatment for the uninsured would be added to the amount of premium paid by all those who were covered by health insurance. As much as $1000 will be borne by each family’s premium due to uncompensated care – this after physicians and doctors and hospitals would bear part of the costs.

Missouri turned away over $3 billion in funds offered by the federal government to cover the uninsured in Missouri which would now be used to help the uninsured in other states. The expansion of Medicaid would have led to a growth in the job scene also.

People below 20% of the poverty line receive help under the Medicaid coverage and those just above the poverty line – about $12000 per year for a person can qualify for subsidies when they buy health insurance. It is people between these lines who cannot receive help from neither Medicaid or avail subsidies.

Around 1.1 Million Community Health Center Patients Left Without Health Insurance in States Opting Out of Medicaid
A new report says that an estimated 1.1 million community health center patients are left without the benefits of health coverage.

In fact according to a recent article the expansion of health insurance coverage in Massachusetts had saved many lives and expansion of coverage in Missouri could save approximately save 360 lives in 5 years.

There are many senators in Jefferson City who want to reform and transform Medicaid and to expand the program to cover the 300,000 people who need health insurance. They wanted to follow in the steps of conservative Gov. John Kasich of Ohio who had pushed for Medicaid expansion in spite of the critics in his state.

Scott Brown Shows Openness To the Medicaid Program
Senator Brown supported the expanded healthcare as it helped the poorer people with health coverage, though he had misgivings about the availability of funds in the long term.

References:

Timothy McBride, May 2014

Preventing Kidney Failure and Improved Access to Kidney-Related Care With Medicaid Expansion
Lower incidences of kidney failure and smaller insurance-related gaps were found in states with broader Medicaid coverage.

Hannah Punitha (IRDA Licence Number: 2710062)

Source-Medindia