MO HealthNet

Some fear the decision will make it hard for low-income Missourians to access affordable COVID-19 testing, even though testing provided by doctors and clinics will still be covered.

The rule, which will last for six months, was a response to "an immediate danger to the public health, safety or welfare of pregnant women in Missouri," according to the state Department of Social Services. Missouri has some of the worst maternal mortality rates in the U.S.

A Missouri law taking effect Wednesday would end Medicaid reimbursements for health centers associated with abortion providers, even though abortion is banned in the state. Planned Parenthood alleges it violates federal Medicaid law, which protects patients’ right to choose their health care providers.

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.

Missouri’s Medicaid enrollment has shrunk by around 200,000 people since last summer, as the state continues the process of undoing a COVID-era pause on eligibility checks.

Missourians trying to enroll in or retain Medicaid — the government-run health insurance program for low-income Americans — are running headlong into the state’s increasingly-strained system. The result: lost and missing paperwork, indecipherable state notices and marathon call center wait times.

Beginning in the new year, patients 18 and under who enroll in Missouri's insurance programs for low-income people will not be removed for 12 months. Missouri was one of the few U.S. states that did not offer guaranteed yearlong coverage.

Missouri’s share of children being disenrolled from Medicaid is third-highest among the states that report age breakouts. Nearly 40,000 kids total lost coverage — mostly for paperwork reasons — and it's not yet clear how many were able to cycle back or move to another program.

The federal government barred states from kicking anyone off Medicaid during the coronavirus pandemic but, when those protections expire this spring, patients will need to renew their coverage. Advocates and health officials worry that eligible people could drop off the rolls.

The unanimous decision means low income Missourians eligible via a 2020 ballot initiative can sign up for the health care program, even though the legislature didn’t fund it.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office responded to a May 20 lawsuit seeking for Medicaid rolls to be opened to 275,000 working-age adults, following a voter-approved constitutional amendment.