JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Groups advocating for health care access say a bill blocking federal subsidies that help pay for health insurance premiums would cause thousands of Missouri residents to lose coverage.
A Republican senator presented the measure to a committee Wednesday as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that challenges whether the Affordable Care Act allows those subsidies in states using the federal government's health care website.
The bill bars insurers in Missouri from accepting subsidies from the federal government.
Advocates say the measure will cause about 152,000 Missouri residents to be unable to afford health care insurance.
Bill sponsor Sen. Bob Onder, of Lake St. Louis, says Congressional action will be needed to fully dismantle the Affordable Care Act but the bill would be a first step.