© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Kansas City is under a winter storm warning. Check here for weather-related delays and closings.

Judge Rules Missouri's Expanded Medicaid Enrollment Must Begin Immediately

A hand places a marked ballot into a red ballot box with a red cross symbol.
Nat Thomas
/
St. Louis Public Radio
The judge's decision comes after state officials sought a two month delay before expanding Medicaid access.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled last month that the state had to move forward with voter-approved Medicaid expansion.

State officials had requested a two-month delay in enrollment to take time to set up the program. Ultimately though, a ruling by Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem on Tuesday struck down that possibility.

The judge ruled that Missouri can no longer deny Medicaid to eligible patients under the new expansion, opening up enrollment immediately. We take a look at what led to this ruling and what it means for the 275,000 low-income Missourians who are now eligible for healthcare coverage.

Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.