The Missouri Hospital Association has launched a campaign to educate voters about an Aug. 3 state referendum, which will ask whether state statutes should be changed to block the federal government from requiring residents to obtain health insurance or face penalties. According to MHA, passage of the referendum (called Proposition C) would reduce the number of state residents covered under the health reform law by 20%, meaning the cost of their care would continue to be shifted to health care providers and those with health insurance. While supporters of the statutory change refer to the measure as the Health Care Freedom Act, ultimately the risks and costs of being uninsured "are shifted to the rest of us," said MHA President and CEO Herb Kuhn. For more information, visit www.mhanet.com.