Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson will resign his seat in the Legislature on Thursday to become the new MO HealthNet Director. Medicaid provides low-income families and individuals with health care coverage. Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) Director Steve Corsi says Richardson will face challenges.
Rural hospitals in Farmington, Kennett, Osceola, and Reynolds County have closed since 2010. Corsi says Richardson will transform Medicaid through modernization and innovation.
Corsi notes Medicaid’s budget is now about ten-billion dollars, which is about one-third of Missouri’s 28-billion dollar operating budget.
About one million Missourians are currently on Medicaid. Richardson and Governor Mike Parson tell Missourinet they are focused on reforming Medicaid, not expanding the program.
