LWV St. Louis | Published on 7/15/2020
On August 4, Missouri voters have an opportunity to expand Medicaid and improve health care across the state. Voters are asked if they want to “amend the Missouri Constitution to adopt Medicaid Expansion for persons 19 to 64 years old with an income level at or below 133% of the federal poverty level.” This would apply to individuals making under $17,000 or couples earning under $23,000 per year.
Oklahoma just became the 38th state to approve Medicaid Expansion. Experiences in other states have shown improved health outcomes and cost savings. In Missouri, more than 90,000 children and 23,000 adults lost their coverage in the past year. Amendment 2 would make it easier for 230,000 low-income Missourians to see their doctors and receive needed medical services. Amendment 2 is designed to create thousands of health care jobs and increase state revenue by nearly $2 billion a year.
Since 2014, by not expanding Medicaid, Missouri has turned away over $15.5 billion which could have been used to improve our health care. The Center for Health Economics and Policy at Washington University conducted an analysis and concluded that Missouri Medicaid Expansion is budget neutral with possible savings of $39 million. Other independent studies have shown cost savings could reach $1 billion per year by 2026.
The League of Women Voters supports Medicaid Expansion. For our narrated PowerPoint presentation, click here.