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Kansas City, MO – Jay Nixon, the main Democrat running for Missouri Governor, passed through Kansas City yesterday to outline his new health care plan. KCUR's Elana Gordon Reports.
Jay Nixon, Missouri's Attorney General, says his main health care priority is restoring cuts made three years ago to the state's Medicaid program.
Nixon: Missouri's health care system is broken. And when Governor Blunt and the Republican legislature slashed coverage for 400,000 Missourians in 2005, our health care problem became nothing short of a crisis.
Nixon says federal matching money and a reduction in what he calls unnecessary administrative expenses would pay for restoring the cuts. He also says he wants expand health coverage for children and make it available to families of 4 earning more than $60,000 a year.
Either Kenny Hulshof, a Republican Congressman, or Sarah Steelman, Missouri's State Treasurer, are expected to face Nixon in the Governor's race. Both have defended Governor Blunt's Medicaid cuts as being necessary to balance the state's budget. Spokesmen for the two also say Nixon's proposals are too expensive and would cost tax-payers too much.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
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