State funding cuts affect Medicaid recipients

Intro:	Thousands of Missourians could be at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage.
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Wrap: On Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives has passed a proposal to cut 771 billion dollars from Medicaid.

This means there would be severe cutbacks in coverage and Missourians who depend on Medicaid could be in trouble.

Ron Pollock is the executive director of Families USA.

He says he is concerned what will happen to people suffering from easily treatable diseases.

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Description: "It would mean that these controllable diseases get out of hand. And they may very well lead to emergencies, and some people may pay the ultimatep price."

The numbers these health organizations are reporting concern patients with all forms of cancer, diabetes, heart, and lung diseases.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbring says there is no way of determining an exact number.

From the state Capitol, I'm Rebecca Woolf.

Intro:	Health care organizations say Missourians who depend on Medicaid could be in trouble.
RunTime:	0:47
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: In Washington, the House of Representatives has passed a proposal to cut more than 700 billion dollars from Medicaid.

Executive Director of Famililes USA Ron Pollack has worked with state health organizations to release a report that shows how many Missourians could be affected by these cuts.

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Description: "The purpose of this report is to make sure that policy makers, opinion leaders, and the public understand that it would be harmful for costs shifts like this in the Medicaid program."

Pollack could not give an exact number, but he says the cuts would take coverage away from tens of thousands of Missouri Medicaid recipients that have easily controllable diseases.

State Budget Director Linda Luebrring says it is impossible to determine how many Missourians will be affected.

From the state Capitol, I'm Rebeccca Woolf.

Intro:	Thousands of Missourians could be at risk of losing their health care coverage.
RunTime:	0:44
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: In Washington, the House of Representatives has passed a proposal to cut more than 700 billion dollars from Medicaid.

Executive Director of Families USA, Ron Pollack, says the cuts could harm Missouri residents who depend on Medicaid.

He says even patients with easily treatable diseases would suffer without medical care.

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Description: "Medicaid is a program that works, and a program that provides urgently-needed care for tens of thousands of people in Missouri suffering from serious, but controllable diseases."

Pollack says patients with all forms of cancer, diabetes, heart, and lung diseases could be affected.

State Budget Director Linda Luebbring says it is impossible to determine an exact number.

From the state Capitol, I'm Rebecca Woolf.

Intro:	Missourians who depend on Medicaid for health care could be in trouble.
RunTime:	0:46
OutCue:	SOC

Wrap: In Washington, the House of Representatives has passed a proposal to cut more than 700 billion dollars from Medicaid.

Health organizations voiced opposition for the cuts...saying Missourians who depend on Medicaid will suffer.

They say they cannot give an exact number, but that tens of thousands of Missourians will be affected.

St. Charles Republican Representative Mark Parkinson wouldn't say he fully supports the plan, but says the government is doing what it needs to do.

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Description: "Well, I don't know if anybody will be happy. But you know there are some things that we have to do with a finite amount of money that we're going to be forced to do."

State Budget Director Linda Luebbring says there is no way to determine this early how many Missourians will be affected.

From the state Capitol, I'm Rebecca Woolf.