JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State treasurer candidate Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, doubled down on his opposition to the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday after a Kaiser Family Foundation report showed most of Missouri’s counties will have only one insurance provider in 2017.
Schmitt cited the report as a reason to continue his opposition to the law. He blamed shrinking options and increasing premiums on the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as ObamaCare.
“ObamaCare is in the headlines again and once again the news is not good for Missouri families,” Schmitt said. “ObamaCare is inflicting serious pain with increased premiums and deductibles and shrinking health care options for families. ObamaCare supporters promised the law would lower health care prices and expand health care choices.”
Schmitt also promised to continue to fight against the expansion of Medicaid in the state. He also called out his Democratic opponent, former state Rep. Judy Baker.
“My opponent in this race helped implement ObamaCare in Missouri while I was fighting against its expansion. During my time in the Missouri legislature, I fought to keep the law’s expansion out of our state, which has proven to be the right policy,” he said. “ObamaCare expansion states are now grappling with serious budget issues. Too many families are now dealing with the devastating consequences of ObamaCare. As state treasurer, I will do everything I can to protect Missouri taxpayers from irresponsible government programs like ObamaCare.”
The Kaiser Family Foundation report found that in 2016, two percent of Missouri’s counties had two insurance providers while 98 percent had three or more providers. But in 2017, the foundation projects that 85 percent of Missouri counties will have just one health care provider.
