Burlison: HealthCare Compact Passes House

I'd like to give you an updated on the progress of some of my bills from this week:

HB 270 has passed completely through the House & is now in the Senate. This bill require insurance plans for state employees to provide coverage that is substantially similar to Medicare for Medicare-eligible employees. This would save Missouri millions of dollars over the next couple of years.

HB 336 has also passed through the House & is now in the Senate. This bill would help attract amateur sporting events & tournaments to Missouri, boosting our local & state economy.

HB 388 also passed the House & is in the Senate. This bill requires the attending physician, rather than DHSS, to provide a breast implantation patient with information on advantages, disadvantages, & risks.

Finally, I'm excited to say that last week HB 423, the Interstate HealthCare Compact bill I am sponsoring, passed through the House by a vote of 105-52 & will now move to the Senate.

We've heard a lot of discussion about health care in the United States over the past few years. Many Missourians are upset with Washington's attempts to reform the system & believe that Obamacare makes the problem worse rather than better. I think we need to stop looking to Washington for solutions; there is no one-size-fits-all approach to health care reform that will work all across the country.

Answers for Missouri need to come from a government that listens to Missourians. That's why I sponsored the healthcare compact, HB 423. If passed by more than one state & consented to by Congress, this bill would give member states primary responsibility for health care policy decisions in their respective states.

"All Member States pledge themselves to take joint and separate action to secure the consent of Congress to this Compact in order to return the authority to regulate Health Care to the Member States"

While this bill pertains to the field of health cares specifically, it is not so much health care reform as it is governance reform, returning decision-making authority to the states in a constitutionally-proven way.

Six other states have filed a similar healthcare compact & the same bill has already passed both the House & Senate in Georgia.

You can see more on the HealthCare Compact by watching this video I put out earlier this year:

My colleagues & I voted to bring health care policy decisions closer to home with the Interstate HealthCare Compact & I look forward to passage of HB 423 in the MO Senate.

If you ever have any questions or issues you believe need addressed or want to comment on a bill we're working on, please contact my office by email at eric{dot}burlison{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov or at 573-751-0136. You may also call 417-597-3635 that forwards to my Jeff City office to avoid long distance charges. I look forward to hearing your input on our work here in the MO House.