Governor's plan will help nearly 200,000 Missourians purchase health insurance
In keeping with his commitment to improve the health of Missourians and reduce the number of uninsured in our state, Governor Blunt yesterday launched his Insure Missouri health care plan to help low income and uninsured workers purchase health insurance.
Insure Missouri will provide new access to affordable health insurance for nearly 200,000 Missourians, reducing the number of uninsured by 30 percent. As more Missourians are insured, health care costs will decrease for all Missourians.
"Five million Missourians have health coverage, but 719,000 are yet to be covered. I am deeply committed to increasing the number of Missourians who have personal health insurance," Governor Blunt said. "We have worked with the General Assembly and key stakeholders to make coverage more affordable. Insure Missouri is a remarkable new initiative and will significantly help reduce the number of Missouri families who lack health coverage."
Insure Missouri will make health care more affordable for working parents and their children, small business owners, and employees. Participants will make an affordable contribution based on their incomes to the cost of their health care. The initiative uses existing state and federal resources more effectively, getting people out of the emergency room and into primary and preventative care. Insure Missouri will alleviate the burden on taxpayers and those who already buy their own insurance as well as reduce costs for small businesses and improve workforce stability.
Enrollment for Insure Missouri begins in February. More information is available online at www.insuremissouri.org.
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What Others Are Saying about Insure Missouri:
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"...the Missouri Hospital Association applauds Governor Blunt's efforts to address the growing uninsured population in a meaningful way. We believe his plan will help reverse the downward spiral of declining health insurance coverage over the next several years. When more working Missourians have health insurance coverage, they are able to seek medical care when needed. Studies show that those who are uninsured delay seeking needed care, which leads to the onset of chronic diseases. More importantly, those studies tell us that those who have health insurance live longer than those who do not."
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- Dwight L. Fine, Senior Vice President for Health Policy
Missouri Hospital Association
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"Reducing the number of uninsured in Missouri is not only good for small business, but it is good for the Missouri economy as a whole."
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- Brad Jones, State Director
National Federation of Independent Business
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"The Insure Missouri program is certain to have a positive and immediate impact on the uninsured market in our state. All the working custodial parents are asking is for a fair shake and opportunity to provide for, and protect, their loved ones. Governor Blunt is answering the call! With over 55,000 uninsured parents getting immediate assistance in protecting their loved ones, the Insure Missouri program may be the most relevant and productive idea I've seen. Productivity is bound to increase as this constant concern and burden is lifted."
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- Gary Marble, President
Associated Industries of Missouri
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"As the largest employer organization in the state, we are extremely pleased the Governor is taking very positive steps forward in making insurance accessible, especially to small employers where the cost factor is much more acute. The strain on the state system should be relieved greatly because of the actions Gov. Blunt has taken."
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- Dan Mehan, President/CEO
Missouri Chamber of Commerce
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