Insure 54,000 Missouri Workers

Health Care for 54,000 Uninsured Missouri Workers.  Status: not dead yet, but stuck in "Emergency" room.

Tell Lawmakers:  Insure More Missourians Now!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support and Fund phase 1 of Insure Missouri

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I was very disappointed to hear that Missouri legislators held up the rulemaking process and denied necessary health coverage to 54,000 minimum wage and low income workers. Many of these workers were victims of the 2005 Medicaid cuts, and although they could have been insured this March, they now will have to wait until July. Expanding coverage to Missouri's uninsured and helping to relieve the individuals and families who experienced deep cuts to healthcare in 2005 should be your highest priority.

I will be watching very carefully to see what Missouri lawmakers do with the opportunity that remains. In particular I want you to make sure phase 1 of Insure Missouri is funded in the FY09 budget. These hardworking families are desperately in need of health care, and it is not available to them from employers or the market. In addition, I understand there is opportunity to restore seniors and people with disabilities to income levels they had before the cuts, and their needs should also be met in this year's budget.

Missourians are watching, particularly in an election year, to see if our representatives are following our values and priorities regarding health care. You must work diligently to ensure that phase 1 of Insure Missouri is implemented this year. In addition to insuring 54,000 workers, you must try to improve the program and fund an eligibility increase for seniors and people with disabilities.

I welcome your response to this letter.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 27, 2008


Background Information

Tell your Senators, Representatives and Committee Members:

This expansion of health coverage to 54,000 people this year is a priority! We want an appropriation for phase 1 of Insure Missouri in the FY2009 budget.  We strongly support phase 1 and also call for increasing income limits for seniors and people with disabilities THIS YEAR!

Key Points

  • Extending coverage to these 54,000 working adults is a step towards the goal of providing all Missourians with quality, affordable healthcare. These 54,000 Missourians are struggling in an economy of decreasing wages and increasing costs. Access to affordable health insurance will make a big difference to their families and help them keep working and providing for their families.
  • While the "Insure Missouri" program needs to be improved, it should be implemented now and improved later. It is unconscionable to kill or delay the program simply because it doesn't go far enough when 54,000 people can get help right away.  Although Missourians want more comprehensive and better solutions to ensure we all have health care, we can't take an all-or-nothing approach.
  • Implementing phase 1 will bring over $146 million dollars in federal funds into our health care system just in 2009.  Very little state funding is required to make this program a reality, and it does not take money away from other priorities.