Kansas City Democrat: Republicans defying will of the people by blocking Medicaid expansion

(From Rep. Ingrid Burnett, D-Kansas City)

It seems unbelievable. 

Fifty-three percent of Missourians — 676,687 people in this state — protected Medicaid expansion under the Missouri Constitution last August when they approved Amendment 2 to our State Constitution. Then, on Thursday, 3/25, led by the House Budget Committee Chairman, Cody Smith, 20 Republican legislators undercut voters because they think they know better than almost 700,000 of their fellow citizens and voted to reject funding it. 

This action came on a straight party-line vote, with Democrats supporting the funding bill that was written and sponsored by Chairman Smith and Republicans opposing it – including Chairman Smith himself. Republicans simply spat in the face of Missouri voters, full stop.

Under the federal Affordable Care Act, states can expand their Medicaid eligibility threshold to 138 percent of the federal poverty level and the federal government will pay 90 percent of the cost in perpetuity. 

An additional 275,000 Missourians will become constitutionally eligible for Medicaid with the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Gov. Mike Parson even included funding for expansion in his proposed budget for the upcoming 2022 fiscal year. 

Chairman Smith described it as the expansion of “Obamacare for able bodied adults who choose not to work,” and described their action as “standing up to liberal special interest groups.” (I guess that means voters?) 

If the legislature passes a final budget without Medicaid expansion funding, a lawsuit forcing the state to implement expansion anyway is virtually guaranteed since the new Medicaid eligibility threshold is now fixed in the state constitution and lawmakers have no discretion to lower it through the budget process. 

Medicaid expansion would give health insurance to over 200,000 Missourians who desperately need coverage. 

Currently, Missouri is in the bottom 10 states on health care, according to the 2020 U.S. News and World Report. Not only that, but Medicaid expansion would save the state money and prevent Missouri tax dollars from going to other states. 

The Parson administration even recognized when they allocated money for Medicaid expansion that they would not need to dip into other parts of General Revenue to expand Medicaid, which has been the major boogeyman of Republicans in expanding Medicaid in the past. 

As we move through the budgeting process, be assured that House Democrats – including yours truly - will be doing everything in our power to get this back in the operating budget during floor debate on Tuesday, and the Senate could also add that funding back in and force a conference. 

If they don’t, then the fight will head to court and the General Assembly will be forced to follow the Constitution.