November 29, 2006

Preventative Healthcare Emerges as Ideal for Replacement for Medicaid
New ideas being considered for Medicaid aim to transition the state's healthcare from reactive to proactive. Spokesman Jessica Robinson with the Governor’s Office says nothing has been finalized. But, she says state agencies are looking at redefining state healthcare, moving away from “the crisis management” or medicating-the-sick approach and moving toward a program focused more on prevention, on maintaining health. An entirely new approach to Medicaid could also mean an entirely new name for the state’s next healthcare program. Robinson says it would be appropriate to rename the program if the state decides to redefine it. She says one idea is replacing Medicaid with Healthnet. New name or no, Robinson says finding a solution to state healthcare is one of Blunt’s main priorities for the next legislative session.

New State Health Director Takes Over
The new director of the state Department of Health and Senior Services is settling in this week. Jane Drummond replaces Julie Eckstein who has resigned. Drummond used to be the department's general counsel before becoming Governor Blunt's top lawyer. She says her familiarity with the department and all of its programs gained through her experience as the agency's lawyer makes her a good fit for the director's job. In fact, she says she has missed working with the department. Drummond says she got an early briefing on the Governor's Medicaid reform proposal, which will be made public soon. She says several department programs, primarily in-home services, that are funded by Medicaid will be affected. Drummond thinks the plan will closely follow recommendations from the legislature's special Medicaid Reform Joint Committee, which filed 82 recommendations a year ago. The legislature took no action on them this year. But legislative leaders say they have to act in 2007. If they don't, they'll face a June 30th, 2008 termination date for the program.

First Responders Attend Terror-Related Investment Risks Summit
Police officers and firefighters from throughout the state hear about terror-related investment risks and how to avoid them. State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who has been fighting to have money from MOSERS - the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System - withdrawn from companies that invest in terrorist countries, wants to extend this idea to first responders ... and eventually to all Missourians. Steelman hosted a Jefferson City summit attended by first responders who were given anti-terrorism investment advice from experts in the field. Among them: Frank Gaffney, a former Assistant Defense Secretary who is the founder and president of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy; and Roger Robinson, president and CEO of Conflict Securities Advisory Group and a former Senior Director of International Economic Affairs at the National Security Council. The first responders are being urged to return home and ask their investment brokers where retirement funds are being invested. Steelman's efforts to convince the MOSERS board to divest from companies investing in terrorist states has, so far, not been successful.

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