While Medicaid is meant to provide quality health care to those who cannot afford it, it has become clear that Governor Mike Parsons and the Republicans of the Missouri Legislature are much more interested in taking this crucial care away from those in need, even if they already qualify for Medicaid.
Since January 2018, approximately 85,000 Missourians – including 67,000 children – have been suddenly and erroneously dropped from their Medicaid coverage. Gov. Parson’s administration boasts that an improving economy is the source of this striking decline in Medicaid recipients; however, a closer examination of Missouri’s Medicaid system paints a more ominous picture.
It has come to light that Missouri’s new Medicaid renewal system fails to effectively access recipient information – a blatant violation of federal law – and has directly forced eligible Medicaid recipients to be dropped from the rolls. Which begs the question: is this the way that the Parson Administration plans to save money for the state? By taking away care from those who most need it and are in fact eligible to receive it?
When children are losing their health insurance at a rate of more than 4,000 a month, it is clear that we are facing a major public health crisis. But the Parson Administration continues to act as if nothing is wrong. This is unacceptable.
We must end this crisis now. It’s up to Governor Parson and his administration to stop dropping people off Medicaid and re-enroll them quickly.
