However, no Missouri Medicaid expansion exists, as the state did not accept the expansion. “But I do expect a cost anywhere from $10 million, I would think up to $75 million, in a new decision item in general revenue. Missouri’s state treasurer and the House Budget Committee chairman will travel across the state on Monday, urging Missourians to vote against Medicaid expansion on the August ballot. In the worst-case scenario, however, it could cost the state an additional $42 million. Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid by about seven percentage points in August, and now it’s up to the state legislature to get a program in … But, the Republican-dominated Legislature vocally opposed expanding the public health option for low-income Missourians, and lawmakers are expected to introduce measures to limit who can access coverage in an effort to keep costs lower. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. White and pink buds on dogwood and tulip trees brighten the Missouri State Capitol grounds in Jefferson City (Getty Images). Jason Bean recently authored a thoughtful opinion in this publication about the hard work that lies ahead for Missouri’s General Assembly as we prepare to implement the expansion of Medicaid, as approved by the voters on Aug. 4. Medicaid Expansion Could Face Rocky Road In Missouri Legislature. — Low-income Missouri residents who now qualify for Medicaid under a voter-approved expansion will have to wait until July 2021 for the program to go into effect. “I expect there will be voices who feel like there was no funding mechanism that was attached to the drafting of the amendment, so therefore the Legislature isn’t bound to pass it,” Coleman said. Amendment 2 expanded Medicaid eligibility in Missouri to adults that are between the ages of 19 and 65 whose income is 138% of the federal poverty level or below. Missouri becomes the 38th state to approve Medicaid expansion to more low-income adults In this July 7 file photo, Missouri Gov. Missouri voters narrowly approve Medicaid expansion Aug 5, 2020 Voters were asked to amend Missouri's Constitution to force an expansion of Medicaid in the state. There’s also the option of putting expansion back on the ballot. In an effort to ensure only those who need assistance are enrolled, Coleman said work requirements will almost certainly be a part of the conversation. “The law seems pretty clear that the Legislature can’t go in and say, ‘Well we’re only going to fund part of the Medicaid program,’” Hatfield said. We are proud to have led this effort to put Medicaid expansion in front of Missouri voters. Deciding to choose or opt out of the Affordable Care Act expansion is something state lawmakers take seriously. Federal courts also have struck them down in Indiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. We’re going to have to pay for it out of the general revenue.”. MO HealthNet already serves about 900,000 people. Health Forward has worked hard, and for many years, to reduce barriers to health. It’s about the politics of it, not whether it’s legal.”. But, the Republican-dominated Legislature vocally opposed expanding the public health option for low-income … Missouri; Medicaid Expansion Could Face Rocky Road In Missouri Legislature stlpublicradio.org. The ballot language voters approved said that the state is estimated to have “one-time costs of approximately $6.4 million.” It also said that the annual net fiscal impact could range from costing the state at least $200 million to saving $1 billion. KANSAS CITY, Mo. But that levels out and quickly becomes a net positive on revenue, especially considering the economic impact of having all that money drawn down to the state.”. Now, expanding Medicaid would likely benefit a significantly higher number of Missouri residents — and … The passage of Medicaid expansion on August 4 was a huge success for the uninsured and underserved, and for the economy, of our state. On Tuesday, August 4, all Missourians will have the chance to vote Yes On 2 to bring more than a billion of our tax dollars home from Washington every year – money that’s now going to places like California and New York instead. State Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury, is a proponent of expansion, but she said taking a closer look at and reforming the Medicaid program is past due. State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, said “everything is on the table” when considering how the program will look in Missouri. “We’ll fully support Medicaid,” Parson said. Option one: simply expand Medicaid without reforms and watch the program continue to eat up a larger share of the state’s budget every single year while underdelivering on the health outcomes we need. Missouri has an opportunity to expand Medicaid to provide health insurance to approximately 300,000 Missourians who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or about $26,000 for a family of three. We are experiencing technical difficulties affecting HD radio listening. State Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury, is a proponent of expansion, but she said taking a closer look at and reforming the Medicaid program is past due. “I don’t think they’re anywhere near the $200 million, actually we’ve heard $300 million in costs,” Kendrick said. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic. Missouri voters are deciding whether to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, which could extend health coverage to as many as 217,000 low-income people. “Missouri spends a lot more on Medicaid recipients than most other states,” Unsicker said. a new ballot initiative to repeal the so-called Clean Missouri, a study conducted by the Institute of Public Health at Washington University, it could cost the state an additional $42 million, Missouri Plans To Give Coronavirus Vaccines To Health Workers Within Weeks, Judge Throws Out Criminal Charges In Duck Boat Disaster That Took 17 Lives, At This Coronavirus-Plagued St. Louis County Hospital, The Pandemic Takes Its Toll, St. Louis-Area Congressmen Make Farewell Addresses After Lengthy Tenures In Congress, To Expand Or Not To Expand Medicaid: Missouri Voters To Decide In August, Missouri Becomes 38th State To Expand Medicaid, Hospital Association Says Expanding Medicaid Would Keep Rural Missouri Hospitals Open. Going against the will of the voters would not be new for the General Assembly. “This was sold to Missourians as a way to provide health insurance for the working poor and so making sure that people are working in order to get that benefit, I can’t imagine we’re not going to be talking about that as well,” Coleman said. This includes whether expansion is funded at all. When Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August, they were told by the ballot language that the price tag was unknown, with possible costs at $200 million stated alongside $1 billion in potential savings. That will be a difficult hill to climb for conservatives, said Chuck Hatfield, an attorney specializing in government-related issues. Hatfield said the way the constitutional amendment was written means the Legislature funds the entire Medicaid program or none of it. Missouri voters approve Medicaid expansion, making it 38th state to do so. krcu.org | 3h. Coleman, who is a staunch opponent of expansion, said she anticipates having the same conversations during the session as those heard leading up to the vote. “Missouri’s ability to amend the constitution is pretty broad,” Hatfield said. Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid by about 7 percentage points in August, and now it’s up to the Legislature to put a program in place during its 2021 session, which begins next month. Missouri voters are set to decide whether to expand Medicaid health care coverage to thousands more low-income adults. Coleman said she’s concerned that with more people qualifying for Medicaid, the cost for private insurance will increase. The legislative session is scheduled to begin Jan. 6, and Medicaid expansion is expected to be a major topic throughout. Published December 2, 2020 at 5:26 AM CST. “I’ve said that since Day One: once that vote came in, that we would support that. Budget Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, said that expansion created “a budgetary predicament” for Missouri, and that there will need to be extensive conversations about how to fund it. Like Jason, I am committed to listening to the voters and moving forward with implementation. You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. The latest updates about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the St. Louis metro area, what leaders are doing about it and how quickly it's spreading. When voters approved Amendment 2, they expanded the population eligible to receive coverage to anyone 19 to 64 with an income level no higher than 133% of the federal poverty line. As of June 9, there have been more than 15,000 cases of COVID-19 and 800+ deaths in our state. Most recently, Missourians saw this in November with a new ballot initiative to repeal the so-called Clean Missouri amendment that was overwhelmingly approved in 2018. Because of this, a federal judge put a stop to the work requirements. This information is shared with social media, sponsorship, analytics, and other vendors or service providers. If there is an effort to avoid complying with the constitution, I think cooler heads will prevail.”. Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid by about 7 percentage points in August, and now it’s up to the Legislature to put a program in place during its 2021 session, which begins next month. Medicaid expansion in Missouri is needed now more than ever. He laid out three ways we could move … This is Amendment 2 to the state’s constitution and requires: This means 90% of costs associated with expansion are covered at the federal level, and states that have already expanded Medicaid have been able to offset some of their program costs to become a revenue generator for their budgets. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the nation and the state of Missouri. Hatfield also pointed to Republican Gov. Medicaid Expansion Makes Sense for Missouri. A University of Missouri School of Medicine study in 2012 concluded that “Medicaid expansion would be highly beneficial to the Missouri economy and its citizens.” And in June 2014, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center announced that healthcare job growth in Missouri had slowed considerably since 2012, and was falling behind compared with states that had expanded Medicaid. Missouri voters approve Medicaid expansion in tight statewide race Missourians narrowly approved Constitutional Amendment 2, clearing the way for health coverage for 230,000 state residents. MO HealthNet with 660K residents enrolled will be expanding next July to accommodate approximately 230K newly eligible residents thanks to 53% of voters approving Medicaid expansion in an August ballot initiative. The expansion of Medicaid can help the states that accept the program in many ways. She said it’s going to come down to money for the program, which she believes the state does not have without taking it from other areas, like education and transportation. Learn about other ways to listen to Jazz KWMU-2 and Classical KWMU-3. Healthcare is the state’s largest employment sector.Outgoing Governor Jay Nixon was a longtime propo… A New England Journal of Medicine study found that an overwhelming majority lost coverage because of confusion about the reporting process or lack of awareness. Mike Parson committing to implement the program as reason to believe lawmakers will ensure it’s funded. Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org. “Because Amendment 2 had no accompanying funding mechanism, resources must be diverted away from existing budget priorities,” Smith said. The change comes as the number of coronavirus case in the state has been on the rise. See details. Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion proposals over the past decade, prompting supporters to turn to the initiative process. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid to individuals with income at or below 133% plus an additional 5% income disregard, which effectively set the maximum at 138%. Missouri had been one of 13 remaining holdout states that have already missed out on generous federal funding of the Medicaid expansion. “You have to fund it all or you can’t fund any of it. Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid by about 7 percentage points in August, and now it’s up to the Legislature to put a program in place during its 2021 session, which begins next month. Now, Missouri will join most other states in expanding Medicaid to anyone earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level, which is about $17,000 a year for a single person. “We saw wild estimates that vary dramatically.”. State Sen. Lincoln Hough. Even if the Legislature approves work requirements in Missouri, it’s not a sure thing that they’d stick. “Our total spending on participant benefits is ranked third in this country per recipient. You can adjust your cookie choices in those tools at any time. We are spending a lot more on coverage, and I don’t know where that money is going.”. “We could consider this every two years if that’s what the General Assembly wants to do. Missouri voted to expand its Medicaid program, as 53% of voters supported the measure. However, outgoing state Rep. Kip Kendrick, D-Columbia, the ranking minority member of the Budget Committee, said he does not anticipate the costs associated with expansion to be as high as some are suggesting. For 2020, this was an annual income of $17,600 for an individual and roughly $36,000 for a family of four. The economic fallout has been widespread as well, with more than 500,000 Missourians filing for unemployment since March and the state … Jaclyn is the Jefferson City statehouse reporter for St. Louis Public Radio. A proposal to amend the state Constitution to expand eligibility for Medicaid is on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020s' ballot. According to a study conducted by the Institute of Public Health at Washington University, expanding Medicaid could save the state $39 million in the first year, and by 2024 the state could save a total of $932 million. Before the pandemic, if Medicaid expansion had been passed in Missouri, an estimated 200,000 Missouri residents would have been given access to health insurance. MO Medicaid Expansion in July 2021, Process Improvements Underway. Over 25 states have already expanded Medicaid, but Missouri hasn’t. It resulted in 17,000 adults losing coverage in a three-month time span, with no significant changes in employment. After years of watching Republican leaders reject Medicaid expansion at the Capitol, Missourians went to the polls in August and overruled them with 53 percent of the vote. Voters in Missouri approved creating a state constitutional amendment that will open Medicaid eligibility to include healthy adults starting on July 1, 2021. We need our legislators to pass Medicaid Expansion. As Kendrick alluded to, expansion comes with a 90/10 match from the federal government. While several states have seen budget savings, the fiscal effects vary widely because each state’s Medicaid program is different. Parson did not support expansion, and in his State of the State address he called it a “tax increase Missourians could not afford.” But he said he will follow through on what voters agreed to. Twelve states have not adopted the expansion, which funding from the Affordable Care Act made possible by covering 90% of the costs. Five states have expanded Medicaid by ballot Missouri is the sixth state run by Republicans to say yes to expansion, a provision of the Affordable Care Act, at the ballot box. Missouri voters approved expanding Medicaid by about seven percentage points in August, and now it’s up to the state legislature to get a program in place during the 2021 legislative session, which begins next month. 18,044 Voters in deep-red Missouri narrowly approved Medicaid expansion on Tuesday over the objections of Republican state leaders. It is estimated expansion of MO HealthNet, the state's Medicaid program, would add about 230,000 people to its rolls. Arkansas was the first state to pass them in 2018. It is time to expand Medicaid in Missouri. “It’s very unclear what the actual hard-dollar costs are going to be,” Coleman said. Missouri’s Republican-led Legislature has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion proposals over the past decade, prompting supporters to turn to the initiative process.

missouri medicaid expansion

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