"We can’t afford everything we do now, let alone provide free medical care to able-bodied adults. I have a philosophical problem with doing that, and I’m also worried about our country’s financial situation."
The state isn't on the hook for any of the costs. The federal government is paying out to states to set up their exchanges, and the subsidies are purely from federal coffers.
Also, it's disingenuous for any Missourian to suggest that they're worried about the federal government's financial situation, when the State of Missouri is 5th in the nation when it comes to the percentage of federal aid that makes up a state's budget. This, mind you, comes from the conservative Tax Foundation, so you can't just dismiss this as liberal hubris.
Of course it's not as though they're at the front of the pack when it comes to the number of uninsured residents -- tied at 21st in the country for least uninsured with 14%, which is below the national average of 16%. Still, the states at the very top of the list with the least uninsured -- states that happen to have their own mandatory insurance programs -- are participating, and at the least, prove that mandatory insurance programs drive down the number of uninsured folks (MA, HI, VT).
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