Hulshof Rolls Out His Health Care Plan

(Springfield, MO) -- Many people believe a key issue in this year's Missouri gubernatorial campaign is affordable health care.

Wednesday, the Republican who wants to lead the state came to Springfield to unveil his plan.

Congressman Kenny Hulshof wants to establish the "Healthy Missouri Access Exchange -- or Health MAX.

The idea is that any individual, small business or employer will have the option of naming Health MAX as their plan.

Once in the system -- users can choose from a variety of plans to fit their needs.

Hulshof says Health MAX addresses the needs of low income Missourians because they would be able to save money in a state sponsored health savings account.
"And part of the savings, we have a modest co-pay," Hushof said. "We think part of the situation we're in now is that people don't take ownership of their own health care decisions. And so we want them to be involved in their own health care decisions."

Hulshof also says health max will also offer health spending debit cards -- and tax incentives will be offered for Missourians to join the program.

Hulshof's opponent, Democrat Jay Nixon's health care plan has a buy in option for any Missouri child into the children health insurance program which right now is only for lower income children.

It creates a one-stop-shop website for Missourians to compare insurance options and restores the health care cuts made in 2005.

Dad of slain boys offers to plead guilty to avoid death

A Glendale Heights father accused of setting his two sons on fire has offered to admit he killed them, but only if his own life is spared.


DuPage County Public Defender Robert Miller said in court Thursday that Kaushik J. Patel wants to plead guilty and spend the rest of his life in prison if prosecutors drop their intention to seek the death penalty.

DuPage State's Attorney Joseph Birkett declined to say if he will accept the plea offer, but a decision may come as early as the next court date on Sept. 11.

Patel, 34, is charged with causing the fatal injuries Nov. 18 after luring his two sons with new toy cars into a bathroom of their home on the 1800 block of Harvest Lane and setting them on fire with gasoline.

The boys' mother was not home when the fire broke out.

Afterward, Kaushik Patel buckled the children into the back seat of his car and drove them to his older brother's house about five miles away in Hanover Park. A relative called 911.

The boys weren't expected to survive that first night, but struggled for months inside Loyola Medical Center's burn unit in Maywood. The youngest child, Om, 4, was the first to die, on Jan. 17. Vishv, 7, survived several surgeries but took a sudden turn for the worse and died Feb. 19.

Their father survived severe burns. He has remained in DuPage County jail on a $10 million cash bond since his Feb. 15 release from the hospital.

Kaushik Patel declined a request Thursday to be interviewed. But, in a March 7 jailhouse interview, he told the Daily Herald it was an accident and he meant to harm only himself in a botched suicide attempt.

"It wasn't murder," he said. "No one understands. I love my kids. I was not trying to kill them, only me."

Patel said he was suicidal over marital problems that arose after his mother-in-law moved in with the couple a few years earlier. He and his wife, Nishaben, wed Aug. 12, 1997, in an arranged marriage in their native India, five years after he had immigrated to the United States.

The couple divorced July 1 after reaching an agreement in which Kaushik Patel voluntarily relinquished any right to their home, two cars, $25,000 in jewelry and the boys' life-insurance policies.

Authorities said they don't believe the accident defense. They said both boys' injuries were much more severe, indicating they had more gasoline doused on them than their father. Police also said Patel made incriminating statements that night to his brother in which he admitted it was a botched murder-suicide attempt.

Frugal Family Challenge: Can these parents trim expenses?

Some people spend too much on clothes. For others, it's stuff for the house. Mitzi Walker's financial downfall is food. Walker loves to eat out. Her family goes to O'Charley's or Ruby Tuesday at least once a week.

On other nights, they get takeout. Add in quick trips to McDonald's and Taco Bell, and she and her family eat out somewhere nearly every day. And with three kids, ages 1 through 5, even a quick visit to a fast-food restaurant can get expensive, Walker says.

Jimmie Walker has his own financial temptations. He likes to buy high-end electronics. An iPhone. Computers. A flat-screen TV.

Mitzi admits that she also likes to buy clothes for the children even before they outgrow the outfits they already have. And pretty soon, she'll need to buy even more clothes. The Walkers are expecting their fourth child by Christmas.

Jimmie, 30, is a government engineer; Mitzi, 28, is an accountant. They make a comfortable living, but they're spending more than they earn. As a result, they often turn to credit cards to make up the gap. They have at least 15 credit cards with a combined balance of about $30,000.

The Walkers, who are both from Memphis, try to visit their families at least once a year. They usually spend about $3,000 for airfares and hotel rooms.

"And every time, we have to charge it," Mitzi says. "Especially if we know we're only going once (a year), it seems like we should save the money."

Putting aside money for the trip is particularly important now, because by next year, their youngest child will be too old to sit on his parents' laps during the flight. That means they'll have to buy a ticket for him. And in a couple of years, they'll have to buy a ticket for the new baby, too.

The Walkers have some savings, but not much: about $21,000 for their retirement, $1,700 for the children's college educations and $500 for emergencies.

To help the couple gain more control over their spending, financial planner Tim Wyman has given both Walkers a small notebook and instructed them to write down every expense, from a 50-cent candy bar to the mortgage bill. That's the only way they'll get a handle on their spending, he says.

"Budgets don't work," Wyman says. "I want them to be thinking in terms of a spending plan, and the beginning work has to be understanding where the dollars are going."

By tracking their expenses, Wyman says, the Walkers should be able to save $500 during the 30-day challenge.

That's an ambitious goal. But the Walkers have already managed to make some small changes. Jimmie recently downgraded their satellite service, saving $15 a month. And after discovering that they're spending $50 a month on movie rentals, the Walkers are planning to switch to a less-costly subscription service.

Reaching their goal will require more sweeping changes, such as cutting back on trips to the mall. But Jimmie believes his competitive nature will help him resist the temptation to spend.

"I'm always up for a challenge," he says.