"We took a program that was literally bankrupting the state," the bill's sponsor said of last year's cuts in Medicaid. "We had to get rid of it (the disabled workers' program) last year," said Rep. Charles Portwood, R-Ballwin and the sponsor of legislation to restore some of those cuts this year.
Besides the lieutenant governor, leaders from both sides of the political spectrum spoke, including Sen. Chuck Graham, D-Columbia and Rep. Charles Portwood, R-Ballwin.
"We took a program that was literally bankrupting the state, costing us a quarter of a billion dollars and we had to get rid of it last year," said the bill's sponsor Charles Portwood, a Republican from Ballwin. "This year we created a program that meets those needs and now its going to cover 3,200 people who work and that are disabled."
Republican Representative Charles Portwood proposed revising Missouri's Ticket to Work program Monday. His revisions allow allowing disabled workers to save more money that they've earned and still keep their health insurance.
Rep. Charles Portwood, R-Ballwin, hopes to revise the Ticket to Work progam, which was eliminated last year. The new bill, Portwood says, prescribes narrower eligibility requirements and would control costs of a program he said spiraled out of control.
Rep. Charles Portwood, R-Ballwin, hopes to revise the Ticket-to-Work progam, which was eliminated last year. The new bill, Portwood says, prescribes narrower eligibility requirements and would control costs of a program he said spiraled out of control.