Missouri’s governor says there was no path forward for Medicaid expansion without legislative funding and that the courts will decide the issue. Governor Mike Parson says he never supported Medicaid expansion because he didn’t think the state could afford it.
The governor says he called for its implementation because voters approved it in August:
Medicaid expansion supporters say it would expand Medicaid for residents between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income level at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Three women are suing the state for not funding Medicaid expansion.
Missouri legislators gave final approval in May to a 35-billion dollar operating budget, which did NOT contain funding for Medicaid expansion:
GOP lawmakers say the money is best spent on the most vulnerable, including those with developmental disabilities. Democrats say it would help the working poor. Shrewsbury Democratic State Representative Sarah Unsicker says there are 21 rural Missouri counties where more than 20 percent of the adult population is uninsured.
