Nixon's veto denied quality health care
September 08, 2013
To The editor:

When Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the Volunteer Health Services Act (VHSA) in July, he denied quality health care to some of the states most vulnerable and medically underserved residents. The VHSA would have allowed out-of-state medical professionals to provide health care services to Missouris poor free of charge and free from undue government interference.

The state has stopped licensed medical professionals from helping Missourians in the past. In 2011, a medical mission to Joplin, Mo., was prevented from distributing free eyeglasses after the tornado because state law would not allow out-of-state medical professionals to run the clinic without a licensed optometrist from Missouri. Unable to find an optometrist willing to help, the organizations mobile eyeglass lab was forced to go home.

That our state would rebuff the charity of fully qualified medical professionals is an affront to Missourians sense of decency. The state should not stand in the way of quality health care for the poor that is rendered free of charge from fellow Americans. That the governor would actively block the reformation of this broken legal framework is unfortunate.

Patrick Ishmael, policy analyst, Show-Me Institute

Go Back

Comments

You are currently not logged in. If you wish to post a comment, please first log in.

 ThreadAuthorViewsRepliesLast Post Date

No comments yet.