In August of 2020, a substantial majority of Missouri voters approved an amendment to ingrain Medicaid expansion into Missouri’s constitution. Despite this progress, today, a court ruled that the state was not obligated to move forward with expansion since the legislature did not appropriate the funds to do so. This decision means that an estimated 275,000 Missourians who qualify under expansion will still have to wait to get the care they need.
We at Missouri Foundation for Health are deeply disappointed in this verdict and we look forward to the case heading to the Missouri Supreme Court.
Watch the video below to hear directly from Dr. Dwayne Proctor, our President and CEO, for our perspective on this very important issue.
Full transcript of Dr. Proctor’s statement:
We are deeply disappointed with today’s ruling against Missourians and their constitutional right to Medicaid coverage. It is unfortunate that, yet again, hundreds of thousands of Missourians will have to wait even longer to access the health care they need.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to Medicaid expansion, which is an important step toward to achieving health equity and ensuring Missourians have access to affordable, high-quality health care. A substantial majority of voters in the state spoke loud and clear when they voted for Medicaid expansion this past August, and we remain confident that this process will ultimately be ruled in their favor.
The sooner the state implements expansion, the sooner the state will reap the economic and budgetary benefits that are well documented. But most importantly, more Missourians will be able to access health insurance to get and stay healthy, remain in the workforce, and support their families.
