Tagged: Medicaid

House Democrats are sponsoring legislation to expand Medicaid in Missouri, despite the fact that the state budget filed by Republicans leaves out the proposed expansion.

House Bill 627 would expand Medicaid to an additional 300,000 Missourians, and House Democrats say not passing it would cost the state 5,000 jobs and could force some rural hospitals to close their doors.  Kerry Noble is CEO of Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in the Missouri Boot-heal.

The 13 bills that make up the state budget have been filed in the Missouri House, and they don’t include Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) proposed Medicaid expansion.

That part of the Governor’s budget proposal would have drawn down $908 million in federal funds for Fiscal Year 2014, which begins July 1st.  House Budget Chair Rick Stream (R, Kirkwood) says as a result, the Governor’s projected $46 million in savings is also being removed from the budget.