By Catherine Wolf, KWMU
St. Louis, MO –
Governor Jay Nixon says he will continue to press for the expansion of children's health care after Missouri House Republicans rejected his proposal Wednesday.
Nixon, a Democrat, wanted to increase the number of families eligible for the S-CHIP program and cap monthly premiums for others.During a visit to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Thursday Nixon said he was hopeful the issue will be revisited when the budget reaches the floor.
"If we don't cover those kids, it doesn't mean they're not getting hurt and we're not paying in our premiums. Those kids still fall down, they still break their arms, they still go to hospitals. The fact is that dollar ends up in uncompensated care and causes your premiums and my premiums to go up. We ought to access the programs that are available. I hope the legislature follows through and does that."
Nixon says it would take one point seven million dollars of state money to cover 20,000 children who do not have health care.