Formed in 2013, the goal of our Expanding Coverage initiative is to reduce the rate of uninsured Missourians under age 65 to less than 5 percent. Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in late 2013, residents have had the opportunity to register for quality, affordable health insurance through the Missouri Health Insurance Marketplace.

Why it matters:

Before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, roughly 792,000 Missouri residents under age 65 (15.2% of the state’s population) were without health insurance, ranking Missouri 25th in terms of the percentage of people who are uninsured. Uninsured Missourians are more likely to go without preventative care, to delay or forgo medical treatments, and to die prematurely.

How we’re changing things:

Three interconnected strategies are key to helping people who are uninsured: awareness + enrollment + health insurance literacy.

We implement these strategies on both a regional and statewide level. Each region is led by one hub organization that helps coordinate awareness, enrollment, and health insurance literacy activities. Statewide, our Cover Missouri Coalition is the vehicle to promote this work. The Coalition, made up of stakeholders from across the region, shares information and best practices, maximizes resources, identifies challenges and opportunities, and builds inclusive plans to insure Missourians who may have no experience with health insurance. To date, the Coalition has grown to more than 1,000 members and 300+ partner organizations.

The Cover Missouri Coalition promotes collaborations through a steering committee, working groups, and community partners. Click here to join us as a community partner.