By Clara Bates
(Photo- State Sen. Jill Carter, a Republican from Granby, is sponsoring a proposed constitutional amendment that would require able-bodied Medicaid participants ages 19 to 49 to prove they are working or engaging in another qualifying activity as a condition for receiving health coverage- Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).
Sponsored by state Sen. Jill Carter, a Granby Republican, the proposed constitutional amendment would require able-bodied Medicaid participants ages 19 to 49 to prove they are working or engaging in another qualifying activity as a condition for receiving health coverage.
Sponsored by state Sen. Jill Carter, a Granby Republican, the proposed constitutional amendment would require able-bodied Medicaid participants ages 19 to 49 to prove they are working or engaging in another qualifying activity as a condition for receiving health coverage.
Participants would need to complete 80 hours a month of work, education, job search, child care or volunteering. There would be various exceptions, including for those who are pregnant or primary caregivers to a dependent child or dependent adult.
If passed by the legislature, it would be placed on the statewide ballot and need voter approval to go into law.
“This is an amendment that is similar to what the federal government is kind of pivoting to,” Carter said at the Senate’s Families, Seniors and Health committee hearing, “just trying to help people be more involved and engaged in the communities where they are receiving assistance.”
At the federal level, Republicans in Congress have said they’re eyeing work requirements for Medicaid, as well as deep cuts to the program. The last Trump administration encouraged state-level efforts to condition Medicaid on work and reporting requirements, and the second administration has shown interest in similar policies.
Carter said her bill is designed to help empower able-bodied Medicaid participants to better themselves by getting involved in their communities and escaping poverty.
“I see how poverty is and getting assistance is becoming a multi-generational cycle,” she said. “Instead of us helping people get out of that cycle of poverty, we’re capping them and keeping them entrapped in that.”
No one testified in favor of the bill Wednesday. Five people testified in opposition, arguing the requirements would amount to bureaucratic red tape that would cause the neediest Missourians to lose health care.
According to the health policy organization KFF, two-thirds of adults on Medicaid age 19-64 already work.
Low-income Missourians, along with those with disabilities, qualify for Medicaid. For a two-person household of low-income adults without disabilities, for example, the annual income limit is $27,185 to qualify.
2 comments:
And if you are in the aged and disabled category the annual income limit for 2 person household is $17,374. That is only 80% of the federal poverty guidelines. For the blind 2 person household it's $20,440. Disabled, aged and blind have the option of paying any amount over the limit into Medicaid to receive the benefit called a spin down. For a single disabled or aged person it's only $12,801. How can a person pay rent or house payment, utilities, car payment, gas, food, household needs, medication co-pays, clothing ect? Why is the income guideline so much lower for disabled, aged or blind people? Another thing is why a different guideline for blind disabled?
Our new reality. The maga/nazi philosophy is to purge the country of the sick, elderly, poor, nonbinary, colored, and non believing maga/nazi segments of society for the purpose of the perfect white subugated race under king trump and president musk. Yes, history is repeating itself again!
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