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Protestors voiced opposition in a Senate committee hearing against Senator Chuck Purgason's Medicaid bill.

In a Monday Senate committee hearing Medicaid supporters voiced their complaints against proposed cuts to Missouri healthcare.

Republican Senator Chuck Purgason's bill would cut thousands of Missourians off health care coverage like Columbia Medicaid recepient Bob Pund. Because of a car accident Pund has been in a wheelchair for more than 15 years, and he says the cuts go too far.

"These are truly deep cuts, these aren't cutting the fat out of things. This is cutting into the bone, but this is going to devestate people's lives I can tell you from my own personal experience."

Pund says it is dehumanizing to lose his healthcare. But supporters of the bill say the cuts are necessary to balance the budget. From the state Capitol, I'm Jade Mingus.

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Thousands of lower income Missourians are in danger of losing their health care coverage.

Protestors voiced their opposition in a Senate committee hearing against Republican Senator Chuck Purgason's bill to cut Medicaid spending. Among those testifying before the committee was a Columbia man and Medicaid recepient. Since a car accident in 1989 Bob Pund has been paralyzed from the neck down and he says the cuts are devastating.

"This is going to destroy people's lives, it's almost like putting a bullet through people's heads."

Pund also says it is dehumanizing for him to lose his health care coverage. But backers of the bill say the cuts are needed due to the gap in the state budget. From the state Capitol, I'm Jade Mingus.