MOSBHA Endorses Medicaid Expansion Ballot Proposal

The Show-Me School-Based Health Alliance of Missouri (MOSBHA) Board of Directors has endorsed the Medicaid expansion ballot proposal, Amendment 2, which Missouri voters will consider on the August 4th ballot.

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Amendment 2

The initiative seeks to adopt Medicaid expansion for individuals ages 19-64 who earn incomes of 133% or less of the federal poverty level, which amounts to about $17,600 for an individual or $36,000 for a family of four. Missouri’s current Medicaid program covers parents earning up to 17% of the federal poverty level. In all, about 230,000 Missourians will be able to access health coverage under the proposal.

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Why Expand Medicaid?

In 2017, Georgetown University’s Center on Children and Families provided an overview of the research comparing states that had expanded Medicaid to non-expansion states. The main takeaways of the Center’s analysis were:

  • Uninsured children get covered when states expand Medicaid for adults.
  • When Medicaid is expanded to parents, regular well-child visits increase for their children.
  • Parents and other adults gain coverage at higher rates in Medicaid expansion states.
  • Significant improvement seen in coverage, affordability, and health for parents and other adults in Medicaid expansion states.
  • Medicaid coverage creates long-term health and financial benefits for children and families.
  • Medicaid covers a larger share of adults and children in rural areas and expansions increase coverage more in rural areas.

In addition to the benefits to children, families, and adults, Medicaid expansion will also have benefits for healthcare providers, decreasing uncompensated care costs for hospitals and clinics and limiting risk of hospital closures, especially in rural areas.

The initiative also allows the state to access more than $1 billion in federal funds annually, creating 16,000 new jobs and increased income for Missourians.

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The Bottom Line for Missouri School-Based Health Programs

MOSBHA’s vision is that every child in Missouri has an equal opportunity to succeed by assuring access to high-quality health care. With Medicaid expansion, children will be more likely to have health coverage and seek preventive care, families will be healthier and more financially secure, health care providers will be in a stronger position to deliver health services, and communities throughout Missouri will be economically stronger. Further, because more individuals and families will have health coverage, school health facilities will be able to offer health services to newly covered Missourians, broadening providers’ customer base and increasing programs’ sustainability. Medicaid expansion will help SBH programs in providing critical access to primary healthcare, behavioral/ mental health, vision, and oral health services, which leads to:

  • Improvements in academic performance.
  • Better school attendance.
  • Fewer emergency room and hospital visits.
  • An increase in preventative care.
  • Healthier adults in the future.

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The Impact on the State Budget

Medicaid expansion is expected to save Missouri money. The state will be able to enroll current Medicaid enrollees into the new Medicaid expansion program and receive a larger match rate for health services from the federal government. Analysts expect Medicaid expansion to produce $117 million in net savings to state general revenue collections.

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Take Action to Support Medicaid Expansion

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Please contact Molly Ticknor, MOSBHA Executive Director, with any questions about the Alliance’s efforts at mticknor@moschoolhealth.org or (800) 807-8494.

 

 

Yes on 2 Campaign Resources

 

Other Resources

 

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