Tagged: health care

Jefferson City, MO – The Republican-dominated Missouri House has passed a non-binding resolution urging state officials to join a multistate lawsuit challenging the federal health care overhaul and calling on Congress to repeal the law.

The House approved the resolution Tuesday on a vote of 115-46.

The measure calls on Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster to join with other states in suing over the federal health care law passed last year, or to file a separate suit.

By Bryan Thompson

Salina, KS – Expanding health insurance coverage is one of the main goals of the Affordable Care Act. Most of the new health care law takes effect in 2014, but parts of it are in effect now. One such part is designed to make coverage available to a group of people who are among the most likely to be uninsured employees of small businesses.

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By Stephen Koranda, KPR

Topeka, KS – Officials in Kansas are going to continue preparing for the national health care law to take effect.

A federal court in Virginia recently ruled against the law's insurance mandate.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger says at this point the state needs to continue working to prepare for any changes.

"This is going to be decided way down the line and probably at the supreme court level," Praeger says. "There will be numerous appeals."

Jefferson City, MO – Republicans in Missouri are praising Monday's ruling by a federal judge in Virginia that declared portions of the new federal health care law unconstitutional.

The Missouri Republican Party released a statement criticizing Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill for supporting the bill and "thumbing her nose at the clear will of Missourians."

The State GOP also accused Governor Jay Nixon of ducking the issue altogether.

Nixon did respond to a question about the ruling during a press conference in Columbia on Monday.

Kansas City, MO – High risk insurance pools are designed to cover people with preexisting health conditions who can't get coverage. Missouri recently launched a new pool, subsidized under the recently passed federal health law. The program could apply to upwards of 150,000 residents, but not many are signing up so far.

Denied Coverage
Carolen Collins says she didn't think finding insurance would be such a problem when she decided to take early retirement from KU hospital two years ago.

Kansas City, MO – Small businesses throughout Kansas City are bracing for changes under the federal health law.

Kansas City, MO – Leaders of a new telemedicine initiative are hoping to expand the use of the technology in rural areas where doctors and other specialists are difficult to access.

The virtual Heartland Telehealth Resource Center will help doctors and other providers get started with video-conferencing and other telemedicine technologies.

Jefferson City, MO – Union leaders in Missouri are not happy with a new health insurance plan for state employees. It replaces the current co-pay system with one that requires state workers to pay deductibles. Richard von Glahn is with the Missouri State Workers Union.

"We are frustrated because state employees are gonna be faced with higher out-of-pocket health care costs the Missouri legislature continues to choose policies that balance our revenue crisis on the backs of state workers," says von Glahn.