By Maria Carter
Kansas City, MO – Missouri Governor Matt Blunt stopped in Kansas City, wrapping up more than two weeks of touring the state to sign various bills into law. The legislation on whcih Blunt put his official stamp will make it easier for businesses to join together and negotiate for health insurance. KCUR's Maria Carter reports.
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Previous regulations prevented business groups with fewer than 100 members from working together to get health insurance. The new legislation lowers the number needed in the group to 50, but not all of the members have to sign up for the insurance. The new law was based on a pilot project in southwest Missouri made up of 32 manufacturing firms. Governor Matt Blunt called the pilot project a success, allowing 6 companies to offer health insurance for the first time.
Matt Blunt: "So we were taking people that did not have insurance and ensuring that they did get high quality insurance through their employer. So it helps folks that are uninsured. It helps those small business owners that cannot provide insurance today."
The bill passed both houses of the state legislature without opposition.