[Missouri-l] [Education and Welfare] Blind Missouri residents followingbudget debateFunds for health care services are at stake

Thu Apr 26 11:02:02 CDT 2012

Great job, Julie.  I talked to some guy and he was not as open and nice. I was  despite what all may think.  So I agree keep calling everyone
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Julie Chinn 
  To: 'Education and Welfare' 
  Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 10:50 AM
  Subject: Re: [Education and Welfare] Blind Missouri residents followingbudget debateFunds for health care services are at stake

  I just called and talked to Lisa at Rep. Tilley's office.  She was extremely helpful and personable.  She told me that the committee might be appointed today, but she really wasn't sure.  She also said to keep checking the action of the hB2011 and it will continually be updated..  She took my concerns and story, and I asked her  why don't they look at decreasing the Missouri judges' proposed 2.9 million dollars pay raise to maybe $500, 000 instead (I would like to have a $500,000 dollar raise).  This would give them more money to work with , to restore our insurance fully, AND keep the budget balanced.  She took down my name and info.  I told her to please tell the Rep. that we just don't' make enough money to sustain the previous proposed plan. And I asked her why some of the Reps and Senators keep thinking that we do. Those of us on Blind Pension wiho don't have paying jobs  don't receive the same amount of money that a state government worker receives.  Yet, this is the same insurance plan with costs that they expect us to have!  So, please call the office and give your short story and concerns.  If we let them know how truly scared we are and why, that we won't get our health benefits fully restored, maybe he will lisen.  Then again, maybe they just don't care. 

  Julie

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: ew-bounces at moblind.org [mailto:ew-bounces at moblind.org] On Behalf Of Elton Thomas
  Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 6:31 AM
  To: <DHuff at MoBlind.Org>; Education and Welfare
  Cc: ew at moblind.org; Missouri-L
  Subject: Re: [Education and Welfare] Blind Missouri residents following budget debateFunds for health care services are at stake

  I sent Steven Tilley an email stating how disappointed I am that he's only appointing members who are against restoring medicaid to the blind. Here's his information bellow.

  Steven Tilley

        MO House of Representatives 
        201 West Capitol Avenue
        Room 308A
        Jefferson City MO 65101 

        Legislative Assistant:
       Leann Hager  

        Phone:
       573-751-1488 

        E-Mail:
       Steven.Tilley at house.mo.gov 

  Elton

  Sent from my iPhone

  On Apr 26, 2012, at 5:36 AM, "Denny Huff" <dhuff at moblind.org> wrote:

    All,

    As you can see from this news article we certainly have our work cut out for us.  

    Blind Missouri residents following budget debateFunds for health care services are at stake 

    Vivian Marshall, 78, is blind and receives a monthly pension of $707 from the state, as well as health care coverage.Marshall, who lost her eyesight to a retinal disease, would experience a reduction in that medical coverage under a budget proposal supported by the Missouri House. She would keep it under a proposal supported by the Senate."Financially it would be terrible," said Marshall, who would still have coverage but would have to pay extra medical expenses.Marshall and other blind Springfield residents have traveled to Jefferson City and Columbia to lobby lawmakers to continue their coverage. The $28 million program covers about 2,858 blind Missouri residents whose individual annual income of more than $9,495 would otherwise be too high for them to qualify for Medicaid.They had turned to state Rep. Sara Lampe, D-Springfield, the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee. But Lampe said she was told Wednesday that she won't be included on the committee of House and Senate members that is expected to come up with a compromise budget.Lampe said House Speaker Steven Tilley told her she wouldn't be included because she wouldn't support cutting the health care coverage."He said, 'Are you going to vote the House position?'" Lampe said. "I said, 'No.' He said, 'Well, you're not on the committee.'"David Willis, Tilley's chief of staff, said Lampe will be on the conference committee for 11 of the 13 bills involved in the budget but not likely on the one that deals with health care coverage for the blind."That's the standard procedure," Willis said. "That's the way the budget has always been done. The House has already taken a position on that issue. We need people on the conference committee who can support the House."Chris Gray, the executive director of the Missouri Council of the Blind, said reducing the coverage would push some people into nursing homes and increase visits to hospital emergency rooms."Their income puts them just above the Medicaid threshold," Gray said. "Missouri has always helped them."Gov. Jay Nixon has supported the program."For decades, Missouri has provided this efficient and compassionate program that offers essential health care services for blind Missourians with very limited financial means," Nixon said Wednesday. "I urge the General Assembly to send me a budget that maintains full funding for this vital lifeline."Marshall said she lost her eyesight gradually to a retinal disease. For years, she was in a research program that was testing a medication.She lives independently but, like many blind people, has added expenses such as transportation and household help. Some of the blind people in the Springfield area turn to area food pantries.Marshall has been closely following the General Assembly's deliberations on her health care program."If it isn't left like it is, it's going to be really hard on a whole lot of people," Marshall said. 

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Denny Huff- President

    Missouri Council of the Blind

    P: (636) 262-1383

    TF: (888) 362-1383

    F: (314) 558-0298

    Phone Cast: (816) 298-8969

    DHuff at MoBlind.Org

    www.moblind.org

    The purpose of Missouri Council of the Blind shall be to promote the general well-being of our members and legally blind people in Missouri, and to support

    or participate in other programs promoting the best interests of legally blind people everywhere.

    ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE JOURNEY

    Your host: Denny Huff

    Listen live,

    SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 8:00 AM CST

    WWW.KLPW.COM

    _______________________________________________
    EW mailing list
    EW at moblind.org
    http://moblind.org/mailman/listinfo/ew_moblind.org

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  _______________________________________________
  EW mailing list
  EW at moblind.org
  http://moblind.org/mailman/listinfo/ew_moblind.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://moblind.org/pipermail/missouri-l_moblind.org/attachments/20120426/5f0f6b01/attachment-0001.html>