It’s been a long journey, but Medicaid expansion is finally a reality in Missouri. That means for the first time, more adults qualify for low-cost or free health insurance through MO HealthNet (Missouri’s Medicaid program). This includes parents who have not qualified before, as well as childless adults. That’s an additional 275,000 people who can now gain Medicaid coverage in the state. This increase in eligibility has the potential to change the health trajectories of so many people, but based on our research, a substantial portion of the newly qualified don’t yet know about expansion or what it could mean for them.
Our initial communications campaign on the issue, “Makes Sense MO,” launched in 2020. It extolled the many health and economic benefits that expansion would bring to Missouri and ended alongside the successful ballot initiative vote in August of that year. In preparation for the hundreds of thousands of additional people who would soon qualify for Medicaid, we then refocused our communications work on making sure that newly eligible Missourians are aware of the change and how they can access enrollment assistance. This #YourHealthIsWorthIt campaign has prioritized outreach to populations that are most impacted by health inequities, such as racial and ethnic minorities, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants and refugees, and those who live in rural areas.
We entered this phase of work with the same humility we strive for in all our efforts. We have partners on the ground who help people enroll and other trusted groups that are organically promoting expansion. We surveyed these organizations to get a better sense for what resources, messaging, and tools would be most helpful to them. Their unique community perspectives proved invaluable in developing the campaign.
