Democrat's health plan would restore Gov. Blunt's cuts

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The centerpiece of Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jay Nixon's health care plan calls for restoring cuts made by Gov. Matt Blunt's administration three years ago, cuts that Nixon said have created a "broken health care system."

Nixon, Missouri's attorney general, outlined the plan Tuesday morning during a speech at Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers in St. Louis, a facility that serves mostly poor and uninsured people. He also planned stops in Columbia and Kansas City.

"It's no secret: Missouri's health care system is broken and it has been for some time now," Nixon said. "One in 11 kids in Missouri has no health insurance. That's inexcusable."

Nixon said the 2005 budget cuts made by the Gov. Matt Blunt and the Republican-led Legislature eliminated or reduced health care for 400,000 Missourians. Those cuts also have resulted in Missouri getting about $1.8 billion less in federal matching dollars, Nixon said.

Nixon's plan calls for restoring those cuts without a tax increase. He said the federal matching money would help pay for them, as would making the state's health care bureaucracy more efficient and cost-effective.

Other highlights of Nixon's plan call for:

--Expanding health care access to children by reaching out to families eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) but not enrolled in the program.

--Making affordable coverage available to families earning more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level.

--Creating a Web site comparing costs of various health care plans, benefits and billing methods as part of an effort to help Missourians make informed decisions.

--Undertaking performance reviews and establish a commission toward the goal of making the state's health care system more efficient.

--Focusing on prevention and individual responsibility through measures such as ensuring access to prenatal care, promoting tobacco prevention and seeking to improve immunization rates for young children.

Nixon doesn't face serious opposition in the Aug. 5 primary election. In the general election, he is expected to face either Republican Rep. Kenny Hulshof or Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

Tina Hervey, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Republican Party, said Nixon failed to mention that Blunt's predecessor, Democrat Bob Holden, also cut health care benefits and that Nixon defended those cuts in court.

"Now, Nixon has built his gubernatorial bid solely upon criticism of Republican-enacted overhauls of out-of-control welfare programs, refusing to acknowledge that five years ago, without hesitation, he defended significant state health care cuts," Hervey said.

Calls to spokesmen for Steelman and Hulshof were not immediately returned.

Lauri Tanner, president and chief executive of Ranken Jordan pediatric hospital in St. Louis, said the hospital serves children with special and often costly needs. The average stay is 30 days.

"We have been increasingly dependent on donors to bridge the funding gap since the 2005 budget cuts," Tanner said at Nixon's news conference in St. Louis. "Jay's plan moves our health care system in the right direction. The bottom line: It takes care of our children."

Nixon ruled out the possibility of a tax increase.

"With the economy we have right now it's not a time to consider taxes," he said.