Missouri governor’s insurance plan draws fire from lawmakers

Kansas City Star, February 7, 2008

After months of simmering opposition, Democratic and Republican lawmakers are now lining up to kill Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's plan to provide health insurance for low-income residents. Democrats criticize the "Insure Missouri" plan, for not restoring coverage for all the people who were cut off Medicaid when that program was downsized three years ago. Republicans say it is a massive expansion of government-paid healthcare. The plan was originally pitched as an innovative way to leverage federal money to subsidize health insurance for adults who were employed, but still too poor to pay for insurance.