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Missouri’s uninsured grows
By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer
The number of uninsured residents in Missouri has grown at a faster rate than the rest of the country.
A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded that Missouri had the fifth highest rise in the percentage of uninsured from 2001 to 2005.
James Kimmey, president and CEO of Missouri Foundation for Health, said he is not completely surprised by the numbers.
“We knew the numbers would increase substantially because of Medicaid,” Kimmey said. “One surprise was the number of people who are uninsured because their employer dropped their coverage.”
The Insure Missouri plan has gone through several rounds in the state Legislature and may face trouble getting passed in the current session. That bill would provide health insurance for working parents and caregivers, with children in the home, who have incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty level, or $20,650 for a family of four.
It would also provide insurance for working parents and other working adults, not eligible for Medicare, with incomes up to 185 percent of the poverty line, or $38,203 for a family of four.
Small-business employees potentially could be covered depending on some wrangling in the Legislature.
For Rep. Jason Holsman, District 45, Insure Missouri represents a catch-22. Holsman said he is in favor of universal health care for all Missourians and all Americans. He said he wants to help Missourians, but wonders if holding off in hopes of helping a greater number of citizens is a better option.
Holsman said Missouri’s uninsured ranking is not good news.
“It’s disappointing,” Holsman said. “It’s such an emotional issue. There are real people out there worrying about their children getting sick or not being able see a doctor. They are not getting simple prescriptions that can cure their problem in eight days, but 30 days later they have to go to the emergency room for the problem.”
With more employers reducing or eliminating their share of the cost of medical insurance, individuals are left to find health insurance on their own.
“Employers are expected to pay higher and higher premiums and the cost of health care has gone up so rapidly,” Kimmey said. “Either they discontinue the insurance or change their coinsurance. Employees are picking up a higher share of the tab and that affects the low-income workers the most.”
Kimmey said seeking health insurance without employer aid can be trying.
“Private individual policies are extremely expensive,” Kimmey said. “If they have a pre-existing condition a lot of times they can’t get in. Eighty percent of those receiving some kind of aid are employed or have one person in the family that is employed. So it’s not just the unemployed that need help.”
Kimmey and Holsman agreed using emergency rooms for medical care is a plight of the uninsured.
“I have had, over the course of my time serving in office, a hospital executive refer to the emergency room as a cash cow,” Holsman said. “The price of a procedure is just so expensive. And they may be justified in saying that, because the equipment is so expensive. But we can do better than we’re doing right now.”
Holsman said he is a firm believer in universal health care and tried to introduce a $127 million bill that would have covered every Missourian 18 and under, along with those 25 and under who attend college. The bill never made it to committee.
With the presidential election looming, Holsman said he sees hope on the horizon if a democratic candidate is elected.
“There’s no silver bullet, if there was we would already have done it,” Holsman said. “(Barack) Obama, for me, gives us a positive vision for where we can go if we believe we can get there. Right now what we desperately need in this country is a positive vision.”
A change in the governor’s seat and legislative control might mean a shift in how Missouri deals with health care, Holsman said, but in the meantime, Missourians need some patience.
“I just say hang on, think positive, do your part and work hard,” Holsman said. “I believe change in our federal administration (will) take us in a different direction.”
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A recent report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation concluded that Missouri had the fifth highest rise in the percentage of uninsured from 2001 to 2005.
James Kimmey, president and CEO of Missouri Foundation for Health, said he is not completely surprised by the numbers.
“We knew the numbers would increase substantially because of Medicaid,” Kimmey said. “One surprise was the number of people who are uninsured because their employer dropped their coverage.”
The Insure Missouri plan has gone through several rounds in the state Legislature and may face trouble getting passed in the current session. That bill would provide health insurance for working parents and caregivers, with children in the home, who have incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty level, or $20,650 for a family of four.
It would also provide insurance for working parents and other working adults, not eligible for Medicare, with incomes up to 185 percent of the poverty line, or $38,203 for a family of four.
Small-business employees potentially could be covered depending on some wrangling in the Legislature.
For Rep. Jason Holsman, District 45, Insure Missouri represents a catch-22. Holsman said he is in favor of universal health care for all Missourians and all Americans. He said he wants to help Missourians, but wonders if holding off in hopes of helping a greater number of citizens is a better option.
Holsman said Missouri’s uninsured ranking is not good news.
“It’s disappointing,” Holsman said. “It’s such an emotional issue. There are real people out there worrying about their children getting sick or not being able see a doctor. They are not getting simple prescriptions that can cure their problem in eight days, but 30 days later they have to go to the emergency room for the problem.”
With more employers reducing or eliminating their share of the cost of medical insurance, individuals are left to find health insurance on their own.
“Employers are expected to pay higher and higher premiums and the cost of health care has gone up so rapidly,” Kimmey said. “Either they discontinue the insurance or change their coinsurance. Employees are picking up a higher share of the tab and that affects the low-income workers the most.”
Kimmey said seeking health insurance without employer aid can be trying.
“Private individual policies are extremely expensive,” Kimmey said. “If they have a pre-existing condition a lot of times they can’t get in. Eighty percent of those receiving some kind of aid are employed or have one person in the family that is employed. So it’s not just the unemployed that need help.”
Kimmey and Holsman agreed using emergency rooms for medical care is a plight of the uninsured.
“I have had, over the course of my time serving in office, a hospital executive refer to the emergency room as a cash cow,” Holsman said. “The price of a procedure is just so expensive. And they may be justified in saying that, because the equipment is so expensive. But we can do better than we’re doing right now.”
Holsman said he is a firm believer in universal health care and tried to introduce a $127 million bill that would have covered every Missourian 18 and under, along with those 25 and under who attend college. The bill never made it to committee.
With the presidential election looming, Holsman said he sees hope on the horizon if a democratic candidate is elected.
“There’s no silver bullet, if there was we would already have done it,” Holsman said. “(Barack) Obama, for me, gives us a positive vision for where we can go if we believe we can get there. Right now what we desperately need in this country is a positive vision.”
A change in the governor’s seat and legislative control might mean a shift in how Missouri deals with health care, Holsman said, but in the meantime, Missourians need some patience.
“I just say hang on, think positive, do your part and work hard,” Holsman said. “I believe change in our federal administration (will) take us in a different direction.”