Talent is no leader, says McCaskill

State Auditor Claire McCaskill emphasized her opposition to last year's Medicaid cuts and criticized Sen. Jim Talent for "taking a pass" by not speaking out against the cuts made by Gov. Matt Blunt and the Missouri legislature.

Speaking at a news conference Friday with four Missourians who lost their Medicaid coverage, McCaskill said she would be a better representative for Missourians.

"As a senator, I will always speak out when Missourians are being hurt," said McCaskill.

McCaskill acknowledged the Talent campaign's assertion that federal funding for Medicaid has increased while he has been in the Senate, but McCaskill said the growth reflected necessary increases due to rising medical costs and that some occurred despite Talent's presence in the Senate.

A campaign handout highlighted four votes in the last two years which both Republican and Democratic Senators voted to reject Medicaid cuts, votes Talent went against the majority on (Vote 62 2006, Vote 291 2005, Vote 58 2005, Vote 39 2004). In one case, Vote 39, which would have restored funding to Medicaid and the Earned Income Tax Credit, Talent and Bond split with Talent voting to support the cuts, and Bond voting to support the funding.

Sharon Belleville, 59, said Talent had failed to follow through on his promise to represent and listen to Medicaid recipients.

"If they don't want to hear what I have to say, then don't come to me for my vote," said Belleville.

Kristine Alliegre, 33, works part-time, is a full-time student and has two kids. She has relied on Medicare since she was pregnant with her first child in 2000. She was just informed on Thursday her two children were going to lose their coverage due to an unspecified problem with paperwork.

Alliegre said the cuts, "detract from families being whole, healthy units."

McCaskill disputed assertions by Republicans at the state and federal level who said the cuts are necessary cost-saving measures and do not represent opposition to the programs. McCaskill said the cuts amount to a tax on every person who uses the health care system, insured or not. Those who have been dropped from the roles now use emergency rooms as their primary care facility. Those hospitals pass on the added costs to covered patients' insurance companies; the insurance company then raises rates to offset their costs; the higher costs then make it harder for low-income individuals to obtain insurance; and around it goes.

"The cycle of cuts is creating more uninsured in America," said McCaskill.

The cuts don't just involve Missouri's resources. As a result of state reductions, $700 million in federal funds were sent back. Those funds don't just disappear, they go to other states, said McCaskill.

Though a Senator can not directly change how a state allocates its funds, they can direct how some federal funds are used. They can also use their very visible position to exert political pressure.

McCaskill said that the use of targeted matching funds and even reshaping the bloated bureaucracy could help encourage states to maintain funding.

One proposal McCaskill floated doesn't address Medicaid, but does affect the availability of quality medical service in poor areas; loan forgiveness. A portion of a medical student's school loans would be forgiven in exchange for working in community health care centers and areas that are having a tough time luring doctors.

Missouri had a similar program for nurses that forgave 25% of the loans for each year spent working in hard-to-staff areas. This year, in order to encourage more students to pursue nursing. the legislature changed the provision to provide 100% forgiveness for any nursing student gaining full-time employment regardless of where they work.

McCaskill spoke at the Connect Care Health Care Center at 5535 Delmar Blvd, just East of DeBaliviere Place. The center is a clinic low-income patients in the city.