HealthNet not ready to roll
subscribeNewsLeader
Gov. Matt Blunt's choice of a southside Springfield Jiffy Lube as the location where he signed his MO HealthNet plan into law this week says a lot about the changes to the state's Medicaid system.
Blunt wants voters to concentrate on the technical reasons for choosing an oil change shop for a health care announcement. The new law the governor praises indeed puts some money toward improving the process by which patient records are accessed, so that like at Jiffy Lube and numerous other businesses, consumers can have quick access to their important personal information, rather than constantly having to fill out the same forms over and over again.
The governor is right: Moving toward such a system is one of the best parts of the MO HealthNet legislation.
And what's the worst part?
The fact that even with money available in the budget, the governor and lawmakers chose not to reinstate the thousands of working poor Missourians who were cut from the Medicaid rolls in 2005.