Your Opinion: Governor commended for veto, Medicaid support

Dear Editor:

We applaud the president for his June 3 conference on mental health. Closer to home, Gov. Jay Nixon deserves applause as well. His recently approved budget initiatives will expand education and supports for affected families and will serve to create a better informed police force and public.

This is a good step in the direction of ending the awkwardness, misperceptions, fears and discrimination that silence people. Silence harms. It hides the fact that mental illness is extremely common and most people with mental illness can and do recover and go on to lead happy, productive and full lives in our communities.

As Missouri's largest aggregate of persons living with mental illness, their families, friends and advocates, NAMI Missouri also applauds Gov. Nixon for his efforts to make gains for poor and working-class individuals. Although defeated by a shortsighted vote of the Legislature his valiant efforts to expand Medicaid to 138 percent of poverty would have brought live-saving mental health care to over 53,600 Missourians with mental illness. That's 15.5 percent of Missouri's uninsured population, according to NAMI's newly released national report: Medicaid Expansion and Mental Health Care.

Recognizing that Medicaid is the single most important funding source for mental health services, we are deeply dismayed the Missouri Legislature rejected Medicaid expansion, this year. We urge legislators to think again and to do the right thing with a special session or in 2014.

Medicaid expansion is a good deal. NAMI's report shows that over the next decade Missouri would draw $17.8 billion in federal Medicaid match - our federal tax dollars - and would save the state $385 million in uncompensated (charity) care and medical debt.

Thank you, Gov. Nixon, for your dedication to our people and the strength of our state. It's refreshing to have a governor who will stand up for "the little guy."

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