MCC Played Crucial Role in Gaining Health Insurance for Working Poor

October 12, 2007, JEFFERSON CITY, MO – A unique feature of Governor Matt Blunt’s new initiative to provide health coverage to the working poor includes an idea primarily advanced by the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) in the wake of the 2005 Medicaid cuts.

When the Missouri General Assembly cut Medicaid health coverage for parents in 2005, some lawmakers noted that those losing coverage were “able-bodied adults” who could find work and therefore health coverage.

“We understood the sentiment that people should work,” said the MCC’s Assistant Director Mike Hoey. “But we also knew that many of the working poor are employed by businesses that don’t offer health benefits.”

According to Hoey, after the 2005 Medicaid cuts were made, the MCC began to advocate a unique way to offer health coverage to the poor. “We suggested that more earned income be disregarded when determining Medicaid eligibility. This could be a way the state of Missouri could reward work and truly target assistance to the working poor.”

The MCC offered this idea first to the Missouri Medicaid Commission that studied Medicaid reform in the summer and fall of 2005. The MCC then proposed earned income disregard legislation in both the 2006 and 2007 session.

“This year the Missouri Senate had a really good debate on this idea,” Hoey said. “We had it offered as an amendment to the Mo HealthNet legislation.” Unfortunately, the Senate defeated the amendment, partly because the legislation had already had taken on so many complex provisions.

“There are only so many new ideas a legislature can digest and enact at one time,” Hoey observed. “We were disappointed after the session but now we are delighted to see Governor Blunt take this idea and run with it.”

The new program is called Missouri Insure. Phase I of the program will allow working parents with income up to 100% of the federal poverty level to qualify for health coverage.

“Too often issues like Medicaid get snared in political posturing and the common good is ignored,” Hoey said. This was an example of how good things can happen when people of good will work together.”

“Often people have the same goal but just a different method of achieving it,” Hoey said.

According to Hoey, the Missouri Insure program represents an important step toward creating access to affordable health care for people. “We support Missouri Insure and other efforts that will expand health coverage for our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.