No health care cut for lawmakers in Missouri

Elected officials should sacrifice along with Medicaid patients, sponsor says.

By David A. Lieb
Associated Press
Jefferson City — State House members, who just last week voted to cut government health care for the poor, narrowly rejected a budget amendment Wednesday aimed at cutting their own health care program.

Blunt's proposals would eliminate coverage for more than 100,000 of Missouri's 1 million Medicaid recipients, reduce benefits to numerous others and require many Medicaid enrollees to pay more from their own pockets.

During Wednesday's budget debate, Rep. Trent Skaggs, D-Kansas City, offered an amendment that would have cut $281,602 from the $317 million health care plan for state employees. Skaggs said his intent was to cut 20 percent from the state's contribution to the health plans of legislators and statewide elected officials. The result would have been a roughly $115 monthly out-of-pocket increase for an individual elected official, he said.

"If we're going to ask other people to sacrifice, we should sacrifice first — I firmly believe that," said Skaggs, who does not participate in the state plan


http://www.news-leader.com/today/20050414-Nohealthcarecut.html

19 of them voted with the Dems but 5 Dems crossed and voted with the Thugs. THAT is what burns me up! If not for those five desertions, the amendment would have passed.
And I dare those sanctimonious butt-holes to say they can't afford the increase. I'm sure they could afford it way better than my kids and I can afford to be kicked off Medicaid.
And oh yes, aren't those MY tax dollars funding their little health insurance policy?

is peanuts for health care.