Missouri abandons voter-approved Medicaid expansion

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13. Kick

The same study found the Medicaid expansion was most likely to result in budget savings for the state. That counterintuitive finding, which has been observed in other states, is explained by demand shifting from other public programs that are more expensive for the state, as more people opt for expansion coverage, which is largely funded by the federal government.

The Affordable Care Act requires the federal government to cover 90% of the cost of expanded eligibility.

On top of that, the new federal stimulus package signed by President Biden in March pitches in another 5% as an incentive for states that had yet to expand Medicaid when the bill was enacted, including Missouri. That would have saved the state an additional $1 billion, according to a federal estimate.

But Republicans in Missouri have long complained about what they say is an unaffordable expense, even as the state has an estimated $1.1 billion budget surplus.

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/13/996611586/missouri-will-not-expand-medicaid-despite-voters-wishes-governor-says