http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-750337.mp3
Kenny Hulshof, the Republican candidate for Missouri governor, recently unveiled his plan for health care. He says it would make insurance available to all Missourians.
Kenny Hulshof is proposing a market-based program called HealthMAX. He says employers, individuals, and businesses would all have the option to enroll in it. He also says private insurance companies would compete to provide insurance options to HealthMAX participants.
Hulshof: So we say to the private insurers, we want you to come bid on this business, and the only rule is that you cannot disqualify someone based upon a pre-existing condition.
Hulshof says low-income Missourians would also qualify for government subsidized health savings account to help pay for their HealthMAX coverage. One of his spokesmen, Scott Baker, says the program would cost about 600 million dollars, but that it would only require 50 million dollars in new state funding. A spokesman for Hulsoff's opponent, Jay Nixon, says HealthMAX would do little to drive down health care costs or the number of uninsured Missourians.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
Download recent health stories or subscribe to the KCUR Health Podcast