How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
P.O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188
Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300
To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com
To advertise, contact:
advertising@slfp.com
|
|
|
ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, April 5, 2009
|
Gov. Nixon Proposes to Expand Health Coverage
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April 5, 2009 - Under an agreement spearheaded by Gov. Nixon and announced just weeks ago, the Missouri Hospital Association will voluntarily contribute an additional $52.5 million a year to provide health care to parents in Missouri through MO HealthNet, the state's Medicaid program.
These dollars will come from the funds Missouri hospitals currently receive for providing uncompensated care to uninsured patients. This investment by the MHA would allow the state to draw down about $93 million in additional health care matching funds from the federal government. Together, these funds would provide coverage for an additional 34,800 parents in Missouri.
Currently, Missouri parents must make less than about 20 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible for coverage under the state program. To take advantage of this landmark opportunity, the Missouri General Assembly would need to increase the eligibility threshold to 50 percent of the federal poverty level in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget. This is the only legislative action required to provide health care to these parents under this agreement because no taxpayer General Revenue dollars are needed.
"Uninsured Missourians are placing a tremendous burden on our state's health care system and driving up health care costs for Missouri businesses, families and individuals," said Ray McCarty, president of Associated Industries of Missouri.
"By reducing the number of uninsured Missourians, we'll lower the cost of health care for businesses and families, make it easier for employers to expand or relocate in the state, and move our economy forward. Associated Industries of Missouri applauds Gov. Nixon and the Missouri Hospital Association for reaching this important agreement, and we look forward to working with the Governor and the legislature to implement this plan to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Missourians - at no cost to state taxpayers."
"During these difficult economic times, business leaders, government officials and health care providers must work together to drive down the costs of coverage for all Missourians and reduce the number of uninsured," Gov. Nixon said during a recent visit to the Boeing Corporation in St. Louis.
"This innovative agreement will pump more than $145 million directly into our health care system to provide care and create and save jobs - at no cost to Missouri taxpayers. I'm pleased to have the support of Missouri's business leaders on this incredibly important issue, and I know we'll work closely together in the coming weeks to ensure that the legislature takes urgent action to cover more Missouri parents and drive down the cost of coverage for employers and families. This is a landmark economic opportunity Missouri simply can't afford to miss."
Despite Recession, Consumer Struggle To Have It All
ST. LOUIS, MO, (PRNewswire), April 5, 2009 - Americans' financial security has been shaken, yet they are divided in their willingness to make spending cuts. While nearly half (49%) of all adults are not ready to compromise their standard of living, the other half see little choice, according to a new study by Multi-sponsor Surveys.
The results of the 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study show that consumers are making the strongest efforts to limit spending on vacations (45% making strong effort), dining out (45%), entertainment (44%) and clothing (43%). Most find it hardest to cut back on food, heat/utilities, healthcare and transportation. Parents are particularly reluctant to reduce spending on their children, with only 19% of parents making a strong effort to limit those expenses.
This national survey of 1,008 adults conducted in late February identified five distinct consumer segments, each facing the recession from a different perspective.
Roughly one in three (34%) adults fall into the two groups hit hardest by the recession and forced to make painful cutbacks in spending - - the Down & Out and On-the-Edge segments. Most of these consumers have experienced job loss, pay cuts or loss of insurance coverage.
One in five (19%) are Hold-Outs -- a young group clinging to their standard of living despite being on shaky financial ground. They are most likely to agree they have "probably been living beyond (their) means for years."
Nearly half (47%) of adults are in the two most financially secure groups -- Cautious Optimists and Secure Spenders. While Secure Spenders typically see no reason to compromise their standard of living, Cautious Optimists are more willing to curtail spending for what they believe will be a short-term recession.
No product category is immune to consumer cutbacks, although some are better positioned than others. For example, "necessities" such as prescription medicine, toothpaste and fresh fruits/vegetables have suffered far fewer cutbacks than discretionary purchases like anti-aging skin care products, organic produce and bottled water. Across all product categories, the most dramatic spending cuts have been made by the Down & Out and On-the-Edge segments.
Multi-sponsor Surveys will continue to track the buying habits of these consumer segments at two-month intervals in order to gauge the recession's impact on consumer spending for healthcare, medicine, food/beverages, dietary supplements, personal care products, and other categories.
The 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study was conducted online between February 25 and March 1, 2009 among a national sample of 1,008 U.S. residents age 18 or older. The sample was weighted, as necessary, to conform to U.S. Census profiles of the adult population.
|
STL-News is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group as a special feature of the Saint Louis Front Page for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com
All rights reserved world wide
© 1996 - 2009 Moore Design Group.
|
|
Click here for
St. Louis Front Page
Advertising Information
Archived St. Louis News:
|
|
