Many meet to support Medicaid expansion

Daisy Ramirez of Blue Springs tells her personal story as she and other proponents of Medicaid expansion gathered Wednesday at the Capitol to lobby lawmakers on behalf of their cause. A number of people spoke about the inability to get health care in a timely or affordable manner because they fall in a gap and are unable to qualify for the coverage.
Daisy Ramirez of Blue Springs tells her personal story as she and other proponents of Medicaid expansion gathered Wednesday at the Capitol to lobby lawmakers on behalf of their cause. A number of people spoke about the inability to get health care in a timely or affordable manner because they fall in a gap and are unable to qualify for the coverage.

"Salus populi suprema lex esto," loosely translated, is Latin for "the welfare of the people is the supreme law."

Other translations are the "well being," "health" or "good" of the people.

These words are written on a banner beneath the two bears on the state seal.

On Wednesday, more than 150 people were bused from across the state to the Capitol in a bid to share what the phrase means to them - expanding Medicaid coverage in accordance with the federal Affordable Care Act.

"We are really focusing on people who actually fall in the gap, sharing their stories with legislators," said Michelle Trupiano of the Missouri Medicaid Coalition, "so that they know that this is not some hypothetical policy, but real people's lives and their quality of life hang in the balance here - and due to their inaction 300,000 people across Missouri are suffering."

Multiple faith organizations, school organizations and individuals came for the day of action, hauling "I Support Medicaid Expansion" signs and pictures of people in the coverage gap.

Some of those people spoke to the group after a debriefing by Trupiano.

Many shared their experiences - a mix of hope and empowerment mashed together with frustration at "freshmen legislators" who refuse to budge on the topic.

"People get very frustrated when legislators just spout some party line that is not actually even true," Trupiano said. "When legislators say that we can't afford this, that is actually not true.

"We can't afford not to do this, because this is a budget win for the state. We can actually bring in and save dollars when we expand Medicaid - so there is actually no reason not to do it."

Behind those who shared their stories were the faces and signs for those who fall in the gap of those who make too much to qualify for tax subsidies to pay for health insurance, but not enough to pay for it on their own.

The first to share a story was Daisy Ramirez, a young Kansas City student who has to save her money to pay for her medication.

"I am here because I want this to pass, I want Medicaid expansion to pass," she said. "Because I suffer a lot with not having health insurance, and everybody needs health care services."

She was followed by Beverly Jones, a mother of five and grandmother of 17.

Jones has been diagnosed with lupus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and osteoarthritis. She has had five surgeries in the last two years and has no health insurance.

She lost her job due to her illnesses and is close to declaring bankruptcy, she said.

"With being ill, I have lost my home, my car (and) I have to deal with not having enough money to feed my family - but I am turning things around," Jones said. "Just think about all the other people without opportunities that I have ... but what about people who don't have the education I have. We need to help each other."

She continued to say she did not understand the argument against expanding Medicaid because, even without the expansion, the state still has to cover the cost of people who cannot afford to pay for their medical treatments.

Aerial Smith, from Joplin, had to move to Oklahoma after the May 2011 tornado that destroyed about one-third of the town.

There, she and her family qualified for Medicaid, but when she later moved back to Joplin for family, she did not.

She is a full time college student, mother of two and part-time worker.

"I live in constant fear of if I was to break a bone or need a surgery," Smith said. "I hear legislators say it is going to cost so much money and it is going to come from here and come from there.

"Well, if I am not there to take care of my children, where do you think that money is going to come from? ... It is going to come from the state.

"So, if you can just give me the preventive care that I need to remain in my home, I can continue to take care of my children."

At the end of the day, Jim Bryan, retired United Methodist Church minster from Columbia, spoke about what he believes to be "right."

He shared the words of Mark 12:31 from the Bible - "Love thy neighbor as thyself" - adding that caring, compassion and helping others is the right thing for people to do.

"Let's do what is right, and doing what is right is not always easy. It is not always the least expensive thing," Bryan said. "It is time that we - as the people of Missouri representing so many places, so many different walks of life, so many different communities of faith - say to our representatives that this is the right thing to do, and we won't stand for less."