Missouri Bishops Issue Statement in Support of Medicaid Expansion

This week, the Missouri Catholic bishops issued a statement in support of a ballot initiative to expand the Medicaid program in Missouri. The initiative proposes to expand Missouri's Medicaid program to low-income workers making up to 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Missouri's Medicaid program currently covers the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, and children, but only covers low-income workers making up to 22% of FPL. If sufficient signatures are gathered, the initiative would appear on the ballot in the fall of 2020. Medicaid expansion was included as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, in order to provide coverage to low-income workers who aren't able to afford healthcare insurance premiums. Since passage of the ACA, 36 states and the District of Columbia have chosen to expand their Medicaid programs. Read more from the Missouri Catholic Conference about Missouri's Medicaid program (MO HealthNet) and how it funds healthcare for Missouri's most vulnerable citizens.