Medicaid

New federal rules take effect in two months, requiring many Medicaid recipients to prove they work, volunteer or otherwise partake in "community engagement" activities. MO HealthNet recipients will also need to verify their eligibility twice a year instead of once.

Keri Ingle, who has represented in the Missouri House since 2019, is running against outgoing Missouri House Speaker Jon Patterson to represent Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs and other cities in eastern Jackson County in the state Senate. Democrats are targeting the seat in hopes of breaking the chamber’s Republican supermajority.

State Sen. Cindy Holscher, the Democratic nominee for Kansas governor, says she would work to fully fund special education, place a moratorium on data centers and legalize recreational marijuana if elected. She joined KCUR’s Up To Date two weeks before the 2026 midterm elections to discuss her policy platform.

Families in many Midwestern states face long waiting periods for Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid waivers that help keep people with disabilities out of institutions.

NKC Health, the North Kansas City hospital that sued, said it has a responsibility to protect its bottom line in an increasingly difficult healthcare landscape. The patient ended up taking out a bank loan to pay off the debt.

A Kansas City Medicaid enrollee is among several plaintiffs suing over policy changes that would require medically frail people to prove their condition significantly impairs their ability to work. Plus: Massive restrictions on federal food benefits are being felt especially hard in rural areas, where food insecurity is on par with urban centers.

A new lawsuit challenges Medicaid regulations set to go into effect Jan. 1 that could hinder access to healthcare for people with chronic conditions. A Kansas City-based nonprofit says its client qualifies but struggles to clear administrative hurdles.

The end of enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans is adding to the tally of uninsured patients. New Medicaid requirements coming in January could be a multiplier.

In November, Missourians will be asked whether they want to repeal the abortion rights amendment they approved in 2024 and reinstate an abortion ban. Unions and reproductive rights groups already worked together to defeat Amendments 4 and 5 in the August election.

Medicaid policy experts say anticipated changes to Medicaid eligibility requirements are already having a chilling effect, particularly among immigrants. Jackson County leaders are trying to get the word out so as many people as possible can keep their coverage.

Some patients will soon have to meet new criteria to be eligible for Medicaid under the president’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Some experts fear the new requirements could result in millions of people losing coverage and higher costs for healthcare providers.

New work requirements and twice-yearly eligibility checks are expected to cause millions of adults to lose Medicaid coverage. But community religious leaders and health advocates have been meeting every other week to plan and strategize about how to mitigate the damage.