Missouri Senate Wrapping Up Medicaid Expansion Discussions

Expanding Medicaid has been an issue for some time, with a divide amongst lawmakers over how it should be done, or should happen at all.

After a majority of Missouri voters said “yes” to expansion, the funding came into question during this year’s regular legislative session, which led to a judge’s decision on the matter.

In May, Missouri Senate Majority Floor Leader Caleb Rowden of Columbia talked about what he believed would come “If he is trying to protect the existing population to kind of instigate that court case, that is one path…but he is going to have some sort of say in that, one way or another.”

Missouri Senate Minority Floor Leader John Rizzo of Kansas City, also in May, said he agreed with this assessment “The constitutional question isn’t about funding, really…these people are eligible right now.  We will decide on the funding and how much that pie gets sliced up.”

In the meantime, the Missouri Senate Interim Committee on Medicaid Accountability and Taxpayer Protection continues to meet.