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Health Commission Analyzing Governor's Health Plan

By Kelley Weiss

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-562772.mp3

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Health Commission is weighing in on Missouri Governor Matt Blunt's proposal to overhaul Medicaid. KCUR's Kelley Weiss reports.

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Executive committee members of the Kansas City Health Commission are drafting a response to the Missouri HealthNet plan Governor Blunt is proposing to replace Medicaid, the state program that serves the poor and disabled.

Dr. Rex Archer, of the Kansas City health department and commission member, says the Governor is moving in the right direction but his plan leaves several unanswered questions.

Rex Archer: "It's a good step. The problem is that we have several miles to go to fix this problem and a couple steps aren't going to necessarily get us there."

Archer says at this point Governor Blunt's plan is not comprehensive enough because it does not give coverage to the state's 700,000 uninsured or restore benefits to the more than 100,000 Missourians cut off Medicaid in 2005. Archer also says by overhauling the current system Missouri will lose millions of dollars in federal funding it now gets through Medicaid for health services.

Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

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