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September
Keaveny Connection |
Contact: Stacy Morse
(573) 751-3599 |
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| Upcoming Veto Session |
Lawmakers return to Jefferson City on Sept. 11 for the General Assembly's annual veto session. This veto session — constitutionally limited to 10 days — provides legislators an opportunity to override the governor's veto of most measures passed during the regular legislative session. To see a complete list of bills vetoed by the governor, visit www.gov.mo.gov.
Twenty-nine measures are up for consideration of a veto override in September. One of those bills is House Bill 253. The legislation would have reduced individual income tax over a 10-year period, from 6 to 5.5 percent. In addition, it would have implemented a 50 percent deduction over five years for business income reported on individual tax returns. It required $100 million in increased revenue each year, making the tax cuts effective only if state revenues continued to rise. The bill would have also reduced corporate income tax rates by three points over 10 years, from 6.25 to 3.25 percent.
House Bill 253 would have changed how our state collects sales and use taxes, removing this tax from the fees paid to amusement, entertainment or recreational, gaming and athletic events. Currently, Missouri cannot require out-of-state companies that do not have "nexus," or direct connection, with the Show-Me State to collect and remit a use tax. This legislation would have changed the definition of nexus to collect out-of-state taxes from online sales. Finally, the bill would have created an amnesty program in which penalties and interest would have been waived for state taxes due starting Dec. 31, 2013.
I support the streamline sales tax and tax amnesty provisions of this bill. However, until we fully fund education, we cannot further reduce state revenues. The state needs $600 million to fully fund the school foundation formula, we must add early childhood education to the foundation formula, and an additional $600 million is needed for capital improvements throughout our state. This is not the time to cut revenue while the state has obligations it has failed to fulfill. I call on the governor, the Legislature, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to appropriate the necessary amount in their budgets using the surplus our state has seen in the last fiscal year.
The governor vetoed HB 253 back in June based on several reasons:
- Missouri is already a low-tax state.
- The fiscal note dramatically understates the cost of the bill.
- The bill would irreparably harm education and vital public services.
- The legislation would increase taxes on prescription drugs.
- The measure would increase taxes on textbooks.
- House Bill 253's revenue "triggers" would not apply to two of the legislation's most costly provisions — the tax reduction tied to enactment of the Federal Marketplace Fairness Act and the business income exemption — and these triggers provide a false sense of security.
- The bill rewards economically inefficient activity.
- The legislation would create uncertainty for existing investments.
- The measure would make our state's tax code less fair.
We should not punish our state's students, low-income families and seniors, and hard-working business owners who currently set up shop in Missouri by passing ill-conceived legislation. Just like I did when I voted against this measure in the Senate back in early May, I firmly stand behind the governor's decision to veto this bill and will vote against any attempt to override his decision that was made on behalf of all Missourians in our great state. |
| Medicaid Transformation and Reform Interim Committee |
The keystone of the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and signed by the president in 2010 creates an online marketplace where uninsured citizens can buy health insurance. The governor is prohibited from setting up an exchange without legislative or voter approval. As a result, Missouri's exchange will be operated by the federal government, which I oppose because Missouri knows best how to implement its own health care insurance marketplace.
An interim committee was created during the 2013 legislative session to address this and other concerns regarding our state's health care system for low-income citizens and the senior population. The Senate Interim Committee on Medicaid Transformation and Reform held its third meeting in mid-August. The meeting focused primarily on the supply side of health care. Potential reforms and alternative approaches for the financing, payment and delivery of health care in Missouri were discussed.
This committee is responsible for:
- Developing methods to prevent fraud and abuse in the MO HealthNet system;
- Giving advice on more efficient and cost-effective ways to provide coverage for MO HealthNet participants;
- Evaluating how coverage for MO HealthNet participants can resemble that of commercially available health plans while complying with federal Medicaid requirements;
- Figuring possibilities for promoting healthy behavior by encouraging patients to take ownership of their health care and seek early preventative care;
- Deciding the best manner in which to provide incentives, including shared risk and savings to health plans and providers to encourage cost-effective delivery of care; and
- Providing ways that individuals who currently receive medical care coverage through the MO HealthNet program can transition to obtain their health coverage through the private sector.
Testimony was provided by individuals across the state, including citizens from various health care organizations, providers, producers of health care products and services, and third party payers regarding how and what they provide. Those testifying also discussed successful incentives and innovative policies designed to encourage appropriate service delivery and utilization by Missouri's Medicaid population.
Committee members also continued their conversation regarding Medicaid fraud in our state. This is a very real problem and affects us all. Medicaid fraud causes people who rely on the program to suffer, reduces the quality of treatment, and forces our state to either decrease valuable services to honest people or raise taxes. |
| Important Information About Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplace |
Visit HealthCare.gov to learn more about the Health Insurance Marketplace. Enrollment starts Oct. 1. Click on the "See Your Options" link above to get personalized information regarding health care coverage that will work best for you. |
The federal online health care exchange opens Oct. 1, and I urge citizens who currently do not have health care insurance or those in the process of searching for new health care coverage in the St. Louis area to visit HealthCare.gov and learn as much as they can to prepare them for enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace.
This is the first time in our state's history where consumers can visit one website to examine their coverage options, receive accurate and easy-to-understand information, and make apples-to-apples comparisons regarding health care plans before they make a decision.
All health care plans offered through the marketplace are required to cover a comprehensive set of benefits, including physician visits, preventive care, hospital stays, and prescriptions. The Health Insurance Marketplace will offer Missourians lower costs on their monthly premiums, making more affordable coverage a reachable goal for many hard-working citizens and their families in our state.
When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law three years ago, it carried with it a promise of expanding access to quality, affordable health coverage for thousands of Missouri families and small businesses in our state. The ACA is already fulfilling its promise by providing eight out of 10 Americans with better health care coverage, such as free wellness and prevention care like mammograms and cancer screenings.
And thanks to the ACA, three million children and young adults who didn't have coverage before can remain on their parents' health care plans until they are 26. This law also makes health coverage stronger for those individuals who already have health care insurance. Our focus now moves to those in our state without health insurance, who now have an easy and affordable way to gain this important coverage.
Additional information regarding this exchange will be available in the near future on the federal government's health care site: www.HealthCare.gov. A toll-free call center (800-318-2569) is also available to help answer questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As more information is announced regarding the federal health insurance marketplace, I will update my constituents through this legislative column. |
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| Testing for Navigator Licensing Begins |
Information is now available for individuals who are interested in applying for a license as a health care navigator. These service providers would supply fair and impartial information to consumers regarding their eligibility, enrollment and program specifications pertaining to the health insurance marketplace operating in our state.
Testing provided by the Missouri Department of Insurance complies with legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor this year. Senate Bill 262 requires individuals applying for a license as a navigator to pass an exam before they are issued a license. However, entities or producers with an active license to sell health insurance products in Missouri are not required to take the test. Applications for the license cost $25 for an individual and $50 for an entity and is valid for two years.
Those applying for a navigator license must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Reside in or work in Missouri.
- Not have committed any act that would be grounds for refusal to issue, renew, suspend or revoke an insurance producer license.
- Successfully pass the examination described above.
- Gain written consent from the Missouri Department of Insurance director regarding the regulation of crimes by or affecting individuals engaged in the business of insurance whose activities affect interstate commerce.
- Identify the entity with which the applicant is affiliated or supervised.
- Pay the fees prescribed by the director.
Individuals may review the Missouri Navigator Licensing Candidate Handbook online (http://asisvcs.com/publications/pdf/122606.pdf). This is a useful tool in preparing for the exam. It is also recommended that you review the content outline before taking the test.
Tests will be administered in Columbia, Overland Park (Kan.), St. Louis and Kansas City. Candidates must pay the $41 examination fee at the time of reservation. Those individuals who would like to make an exam reservation should call (866) 274-4740. |
| Common Core Standards for Education |
 The Common Core State Standards are computer-based, meaning as the student undergoes testing, the computer will adjust the difficulty of questions in response to his or her performance.
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Our state's assessment for English language arts and literacy and mathematics are changing for the 2014-15 school year to reflect school districts' move from their current state standards to the Common Core State Standards. These new set of standards will help Missouri schools better assess program effectiveness and improve student achievement utilizing technology.
To learn more about Missouri's Common Core Standards, visit www.dese.mo.gov. This computer-based program determines which skills students have mastered and what areas of learning need more attention. Teachers will have a new tool to differentiate instruction, provide efficient and secure ways to gather information about our state's students, and show more accurate scores for all students across the learning spectrum.
Instead of waiting months to receive our students' scores, this new system will produce test results within weeks. This means educators can apply this information to their lesson plans, better meet each student's unique learning needs, and prepare our students for the future.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has posted a practice test online: http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test. |
| Home and Auto Insurance |
Missourians who find themselves looking for more information on how to purchase home and auto insurance now have one convenient place to visit. The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions & Professional Registration (DIFP) recently created a new way for consumers to visit and view insurance policies and mandatory endorsements from some of our state's largest insurance companies before they commit to and buy a policy. You can view these sample homeowners and auto insurance policies from major insurance companies on the department's website (www.difp.mo.gov).
Missouri is now the second in the nation to provide a way for
citizens to view free, sample homeowners and auto insurance policies as well as informational resources in a digital format. The companies are listed in the order of their market share in Missouri, and each page includes the respective company's website and toll-free phone number, along with other helpful information. Additional companies may be added to this ever-expanding list.
This resource provides our state's citizens with important insurance information designed to meet each individual's particular home or auto coverage needs. It's crucial that you read your home and auto insurance policy carefully and make sure you have the right amount of insurance coverage. I urge you to contact potential agents or insurance companies if you do not have home or auto coverage and you have questions pertaining to this particular insurance process. I find it unfortunate that the majority party continually blocks a similar resource that could be developed to compare health insurance in an exchange created and ran by the state.
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| Back-to-School Checklist: Reviewing Insurance Policies |
There are educational videos on the DIFP's website (www.insurance.mo.gov) regarding auto coverage and insurance for homeowners and renters. |
Families throughout Missouri are sending their children off to college, some for the first time. There are things you as parents and guardians might not know when it comes to your children's insurance policies while they are away at school.
- Auto Insurance - The price and coverage of your policy may change based on the city and state where your child will attend school. And if they are taking their car to college, check to see if your company offers a discount for their good grades.
- Homeowners' and renters' insurance - It's important to ask your agent if your student's belongings are covered under your current policy. Students who live off campus are encouraged to buy renters' insurance, which typically runs $8-$21 a month. It's a good idea for all Missourians, not just those who are leaving for college, to conduct an inventory of their home, creating a checklist of all possessions. This will make the process of filing a claim more efficient if you ever encounter damage to your property as a result of fire, storms or theft.
- Health insurance - Thanks to Obamacare, most young adults can remain on their parents' health insurance plans until they are 26 years old, regardless of marital status, financial dependency, residency or enrollment in school. Remember to supply your children with a copy of their insurance cards before they go off to college. Students should also know which physicians and hospitals are in their networks while away at school.
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| Protecting Missouri's Deer Population |
For more information regarding upcoming meetings on protecting Missouri deer, including a complete list of meeting dates, visit www.mdc.mo.gov.
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The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold public forums around the state throughout the month of September and in the beginning of October to discuss ways to minimize the spread of diseases, such as chronic wasting disease, in white-tailed deer.
Our state offers some of the best deer hunting in the nation, and for centuries this sport has provided a food supply and a rich tradition to countless families throughout Missouri. Hunting for this species is also an important economic driver for our state, supporting 12,000 jobs and providing a $1 billion annual boost to state and local economies.
Numerous businesses rely on deer hunting, which brings in a significant source of revenue for meat processors, taxidermists, hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and sporting goods stores, just to name a few. In addition, thousands of private landowners manage their land for deer and rely on hunting to maintain their property values.
Comments are welcome at each meeting pertaining to limiting the spread of disease among captive and free-ranging deer. Individuals can also post comments online at mdc.mo.gov/deerhealth. |
| Annual Health and Back-to-School Fair Deemed a Success |
Click here to view additional photos taken during the 2013 Health and Back-to-School Fair.
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In July, I hosted my annual health and back-to-school fair in collaboration with the Betty Jean Kerr People's Health Centers. Approximately 2,900 individuals registered at the health fair this year. More than 40 organizations took park in the event and offered free services and products such as eye screenings, clinical breast exams, and hearing tests. We are proud to announce that 85 booster seats were distributed to families in need, making our total this year of distributed booster seats nearly 700. We are on a roll!
In addition to the wonderful turnout we had this year at the health and back-to-school fair, I hosted and participated in a poverty simulation. The Community Action Poverty Simulation provided a way for individuals in our area to have a better understanding of the hardships of living day-to-day wondering what it is like to have to budget for everyday necessities such as food, utilities and a place to live. More than 46.2 million Americans, 16 million whom are children under the age of 18, live in poverty. It was humbling going through this simulation, and I hope my fellow citizens are now able to have empathy for what it's like to struggle with limited incomes while providing for themselves and their families.
I would like to thank each and every citizen who came out to support and attend the event, especially those volunteers from People's Health Center who gave countless hours of their time to help those in their community. Much work goes into the preparation of these fairs; however, I know all who are involved agree the benefit far outweighs the means. |
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