moving for medicaid in missouri

tuesday, i headed to the capitol.  no, not dc.  jefferson city, or jeff city for short.  i was part of 200 faith folk across missouri (not to mention other organizing partners) to descend on the capitol with missouri faith voices and cco to talk to legislators and the governor about medicaid expansion.

on our way to jeff city (woohoo medicaid expansion!!)

right now missouri pays 40% of the funds for medicaid and the federal government pays 60%.  missouri also only gives medicaid to those who earn a mere 20% of poverty level wages.  with medicaid expansion, the federal government would pay 100% of the funds for medicaid for three years, then slowly work down to 90% (which is still more than 60%) and hard working missourians who earn 138% of poverty level wages (those entering workforces, making about $12/hour) would qualify for medicaid.  this means missouri would get money from the federal government pumped into the state (creating jobs) and would create incentives to begin work in missouri and would help missourians stay healthier.

if missouri does not pass medicaid expansion, not only does the government not fund 100% of medicaid, it doesn't fund any.  medicaid would then only be funded by missouri, so funding would drop by 60%, therefore covering even fewer people than it covers now (which is already really small) and this would result in hospitals closing due to lack of funding.

big deal, right?  when jesus says he was sick and we did or did not visit him, this counts.  cutting medicaid prevents jesus from being able to go to the doctor to keep from getting sick!  as a baptized child of god, and as someone who has insurance and sees the benefits of it for my medical bills, i understand fair and equal access to health care as a necessary right.  we are each claimed as god's own children in baptism and if my brother (or theoretical sister) is sick, i will take him (or her) to the doctor if i have to.  dying from preventable and curable diseases is not right and no child of god should have to go through that.

that's why i was at the capitol today meeting with legislators (who will be back in their districts for 10 days beginning thursday if you want to tell them why you care about medicaid expansion) and governor nixon.  medicaid expansion is the right thing to do.