Capitol Report: Can we afford government’s solution to healthcare?

Managing the state budget is the most important job of the General Assembly. Just like in our family budgets, the way we manage our finances impacts nearly every other aspect of our lives. A strong financial foundation allows us to meet our basic needs and set money aside for growth and development while poor fiscal management causes our quality of life to suffer and hinders our ability to provide for a prosperous future.

Currently, the majority of the debate surrounding the federal healthcare law is focused on the constitutionality of this legislation. Although this should not be minimized, the extensive cost to state governments and the corresponding impacts on state budgets should no longer be absent from these public discussion. Specifically, the proposed changes in eligibility requirements will cause a dramatic increase in the number of people receiving entitlement benefits. This increase in services will drive up the costs for Missouri taxpayers by hundreds of millions of dollars. With education funding and other important services already stretched to their limits, Missouri’s state government does not have room in the budget to take on these new obligations.

Quite simply, we cannot afford additional financial burdens to be placed on the backs of Missouri’s hard-working families. We must resist this type of government expansion and instead focus on the ingenuity, innovation and resourcefulness of our private sector. By empowering consumers and aligning financial incentives, we can create a dynamic in which the private sector will develop long term sustainable solutions that will improve healthcare in our country while driving down the cost for all Americans.

As always, please feel free to call, email, or write with your ideas or concerns. The Capitol number is (573) 751-1415, my email is [email protected] and my mailing address is Room 422, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.