Join Us in Achieving Medicaid Expansion in Kansas and Missouri
38 states have expanded Medicaid as of Aug. 5, 2020. Missouri is proudly added! (click on image to enlarge)
The Kansas City Medical Society and the Kansas City Medical Society Foundation support Medicaid expansion in Kansas and Missouri.
Missouri: On July 22, the Missouri Supreme Court overruled a lower court ruling and unanimously upheld Medicaid expansion for the State of Missouri as approved by voters in August 2020. The ruling affirmed that “DSS has appropriation authority to provide services for all individuals eligible for MO HealthNet, including individuals eligible for coverage and services pursuant to” the amendment. Karole Bradford, CEO of the Kansas City Medical Society Foundation, stated: “We are thrilled that today’s ruling upholds the will of the voters to expand eligibility and help hundreds of thousands of our fellow Missourians access high-quality healthcare. Medicaid expansion will go a long way in providing increased access to services and reducing health disparities in our state.”
Kansas: The legislature has adjourned for 2021 with no action on Medicaid expansion. Strong opposition remains among the Republican leadership.
Webinar Series
To help keep you informed about expansion, tune in to our Medicaid Expansion Update webinar series … the second Thursday of every month from 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. Each month, we will take an in-depth look at aspects of expansion ranging from the economic impact to tips on being an effective advocate. See a list of webinars presented so far and links to recordings.
If you are not already on our Medicaid expansion supporter email list, you can enroll as a supporter and receive regular updates on the progress of advocacy in Kansas and implementation in Missouri.
Resource Links
Kansas
- (NEW) Medicaid Expansion and Main Street: Projected Effects of Expanding Kancare on Kansas Employers (Kansas Health Institute, April 2021). Private-sector employers would save an estimated $39.6 million to $80.6 million per year on contributions to employer-sponsored health plan premiums and reduced tax penalties, if Medicaid were expanded in Kansas.
- Who Could Medicaid Reach with Expansion in Kansas? (fact sheet from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
- What Kansas Can Learn from Medicaid Expansion in Other States (Kansas Health Institute Report, June 2019)
- Additional resources from Alliance for a Healthy Kansas
Missouri
- (NEW) Medicaid Expansion Saves State General Revenue in FY 2022 (Missouri Budget Project – March 2, 2021). With the help of incentives in the 2020 and 2021 federal stimulus bills, health services that now are paid in full or in part by Missouri general revenue would be transferred to the 90% federal share under expansion. This would yield budget savings for Missouri in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021.
- Medicaid Expansion in Missouri (Missouri Foundation for Health, January 2020). This issue brief provides a comprehensive case for Medicaid expansion.
- Analysis of the Fiscal Impact of Medicaid Expansion in Missouri (Washington University 2019). Missouri could save $930 million annually by 2024 with Medicaid expansion.
General
- The Coverage Gap: Uninsured Poor Adults in States That Do Not Expand Medicaid (issue brief from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation)
- Medicaid Expansion Fills Gaps in Maternal Health Coverage Leading to Healthier Mothers and Babies (Georgetown University Health Policy Institute report)