Senators take up Insure Missouri plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Senators are considering a proposal to expand government-subsidized health insurance to thousands of lower-income Missourians.

The legislation being debated Tuesday is a revision of the "Insure Missouri" plan outlined by Gov. Matt Blunt last year.

Blunt ultimately scrapped plans to start program this spring because of concerns by some House members.

Like Blunt's original plan, the Senate proposal would offer health care coverage to an estimated 54,000 working parents living in poverty. It has the potential to cover about 200,000 people earning up to about twice the poverty level.

The Senate proposal would require participants to contribute up to $1,000 a year to health savings accounts that would be used for their insurance deductibles.