Election night brought with it the welcome news that I would become the new state Senator for the 5th District. But even as I took a few moments to celebrate the moment, my thoughts turned to the hard work that lies ahead.
The biggest issue our state will address in the coming months centers on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the efforts of the Obama Administration to provide health care to the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured.
In Missouri we have seen the ACA attacked relentlessly by the Republicans. They want us to believe the expansion of health care is a bad idea for our nation, and they have repeatedly taken steps to thwart the implementation of the plan within our borders.
But as we know here in the St. Louis area, the need for such an expansion is overwhelming. We have too many families who cannot afford the basic care that many other Missourians take for granted. They see through the talking points spouted by the Republicans. They know that the ACA is our best hope for a future where both rich and poor alike will receive the medical attention they need.
My pledge to the people of St. Louis is that I will work tirelessly as a state Senator to ensure our citizens have increased access to health care through the implementation of the ACA. The Supreme Court’s ruling on the plan makes it clear the federal government cannot force states to expand Medicaid. As a result, we will need state government leaders to take the reins. It’s my goal to be there at every turn to remind my colleagues in the Legislature that two-thirds of Missouri’s uninsured stand to gain access to health insurance if we approve the Medicaid expansion.
When we look at the numbers we see nearly 510,000 Missourians from all parts of the state waiting for us to approve the Medicaid expansion so they can join the ranks of the insured. Approximately 40,000 of that number live in St. Louis city with another 60,000 in St. Louis County.
While these numbers may make the health care expansion seem like an urban issue, it’s important to realize many rural counties in Missouri have the highest percentages of uninsured. With uninsured rates as high as 22.6 percent, these counties and the people who live there are in desperate need of the health care expansion provided by the ACA.
It’s also important to understand the Medicaid expansion is just one provision of the ACA that will benefit Missourians. Health insurance exchanges are another part of the plan that would give Missourians more information on their options for purchasing health insurance. It’s another item the Republicans have attacked. They’ve even turned down tens of millions in federal assistance and gone as far as to put a measure on the ballot for November that would prevent the governor from enacting an exchange without legislative or voter approval.
I urge everyone to vote against the amendment and to give our governor the authority to enact this part of the ACA that would make a positive impact on the ability of Missourians to obtain health insurance.
The ACA also provides funding to help states start or strengthen consumer assistance programs. These programs help consumers appeal decisions made by their health insurance provider. The act also allows consumers the right to appeal decisions made by their provider to an independent decision panel, no matter which state they live in or what type of health insurance they have.
Furthermore, the ACA will create a high-risk pool program to help provide insurance to the more than 3 million uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions. We all know someone who has a condition that makes obtaining insurance difficult if not impossible. The ACA will help our loved ones, friends and neighbors to receive the care they need to live a quality life.
These changes and many more will come our way with the enactment of the ACA if the leaders of this state don’t stand in the way. We need our governor to lead the way and to utilize his authority to implement as much of the plan as possible. And we need our legislature to open its eyes to the fact that uninsured families desperately need their help and the assistance the ACA can provide.
