IV. Adequate and Accessible Health Care
Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life, a fundamental human right and an urgent national priority. We need to reform the nation’s health care system, and this reform must be rooted in values that respect human dignity, protect human life and meet the needs of the poor and uninsured.
Faithful Citizenship (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Administrative Board, 2003).
A. Affordable health coverage should be made available to all.
Access to healthcare is a basic human right. Small employers, farmers and the working poor should be able to purchase affordable health benefits. Missouri should exercise all options to expand health care coverage to more uninsured or underinsured people.
B. Sufficient funding for adult and children's Medicaid programs should be provided.
Medicaid provides access to affordable health care for those who are unable to obtain or afford health insurance. Programs like MC+ and the School Children's Health Program provide important preventive health care for children.
C. Barriers to affordable healthcare should be removed.
State health programs should address the low reimbursement rates, burdensome filing procedures, liability concerns, lack of program awareness and shortage of program providers.
D. Pharmaceutical assistance programs should target those most in need.
The extent of pharmaceutical coverage depends on the amount of funding for a prescription program. At a minimum, the program should be funded at levels to provide comprehensive coverage to low-income senior citizens.
E. Medical malpractice insurance should be affordable for health care providers.
Exorbitant medical malpractice insurance rates are forcing providers to leave Missouri for other states or to quit the medical profession entirely. Increased insurance costs are passed to consumers making health care coverage unaffordable. We support reforms to the civil justice and insurance system that balance the rights of the injured with those of healthcare providers.
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