health insurance

U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison, an Ozark Republican, also took a negative view of town hall meetings, claiming that "only political nutjobs show up.” His comments come after several GOP lawmakers faced angry crowds criticizing federal job reductions.

MO HealthNet covers more than 1.3 million, or one in five people in the state, across different eligibility groups. The majority of Missouri's Medicaid funding, including almost all of its expansion money, comes from the federal government.

Missouri officials doubt the state could stop accepting Medicaid expansion applicants if the federal government provides less money. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley says he'd be "really concerned" about significant Medicaid cuts in a budget bill.

The Republican-sponsored constitutional amendment would require able-bodied Medicaid participants ages 19 to 49 to prove they are working as a condition for receiving health coverage. Tens of thousands of patients lost coverage in other states that implemented similar requirements.

A Kansas doctor wants to make everyday health care more affordable through a model called direct primary care, where patients pay a monthly fee for services instead of using insurance. Plus: The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a new leader this school year.

A Wichita family physician is trying to make primary care more affordable and accessible through a subscription-based model called direct primary care.

Pharmacy closures nationwide are leaving some communities at risk, including in the Kansas City area. Experts say pharmacy benefit managers are what's driving drugstores out of business.

Pharmacists often say their businesses can’t survive under the reimbursement rates set by pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen. Sometimes, they pay more for drugs than they’re allowed to charge customers.

Missouri has removed roughly 136,000 kids from its Medicaid rolls since June 2023. But the state's worst-in-nation processing delays make it difficult to re-enroll — causing many to miss doctor’s appointments and critical prescriptions.

Many patients stay away from the dentist out of concern about the costs. Health experts say that MO HealthNet covering dental exams is a significant step in Missouri's effort to improve dental access — and to boost overall health, beyond cavities, molars and gums.

The federal government told Missouri it is concerned the state is not doing enough to “achieve and sustain” compliance with federal rules on Medicaid and CHIP. In Missouri, 72% of insurance applications took more than 45 days to process — the worst in the U.S.

After pandemic-era federal protections for Medicaid ended, Kansas started reviewing who was eligible for state health coverage. About 47% of the residents who lost insurance during that time were ages 18 or younger.