Gov. Jay Nixon's administration says it is expecting more than 1,000 people to rally at the Missouri Capitol in support of Medicaid expansion. The Democratic governor plans to speak at this afternoon's event as part of his effort to expand Medicaid to more lower-income adults as envisioned by the federal health care law.
Republican legislators so far have refused to embrace a Medicaid expansion. And the prospects may be getter dimmer.
Last week, President Barack Obama called for a one-year delay in a provision of the federal health care law that was to reduce payments to hospitals for caring for uninsured patients, beginning in the year 2014.
Nixon has said an expanded Medicaid program could provide funding for those hospitals. But some Republican state legislators say there now is no urgency to act.
