Health Care

Jay Nixon believes that every Missourian should have access to quality health care. Unfortunately, that is not the case today. Because of Governor Matt Blunt's massive health care cuts in 2005, nearly 700,000 Missourians, including 121,000 children, do not have health insurance. Businesses are struggling to provide health care for their employees, seniors are paying too much for prescription drugs, and our medical research facilities aren't getting the resources they need to move forward. As Governor, Jay will make it a priority to fix our broken health care system so Missourians can live longer, healthier lives and so that our state can lead the nation in medical research.

While Governors in other states are making smart investments by expanding health coverage for their citizens, Matt Blunt is doing the opposite here in Missouri. Since taking office, Blunt has slashed or eliminated the health care coverage of more than 400,000 Missourians, including 73,000 children. Because the number of uninsured has increased so dramatically, Missourians with health care are being forced to pay higher premiums. The Governor unexplainably turned down over $1 billion federal dollars that would have helped provide the neediest Missourians with health insurance. When it comes to investing in a healthy Missouri, Matt Blunt is clearly taking us in the wrong direction.

As Attorney General, Jay has a record of finding creative ways to improve Missouri's health care system. He helped create the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH), a foundation dedicated to strengthening Missouri's health care system and to promoting prevention and healthy lifestyles. The Foundation formulates public policy proposals to advance efforts to increase access to high-quality health care, particularly for the insured, throughout Missouri.

Jay understands that many small business owners who want to provide health care for their employees are simply unable to afford it. In fact, more than 50 percent of uninsured workers in Missouri either work for small businesses or are self-employed. As Governor, Jay will be committed to working with small business owners to help them provide health care to their employees.

Learn More about Jay's Health Care Plan