Health Insurance

Pandemic, lawsuits hamper Missouri’s Medicaid enrollment

Sarah Fentem

Five months after a judge ruled Missouri must begin enrolling people in its newly expanded Medicaid program, the state is off to a slow start, with only 20% of newly eligible people signed up.

Flanked by state lawmakers, Gov. Mike Parson signs House Bill 604 into law on July 7, 2021.

Government, Politics & Issues

Missouri Will Become Last State To Enforce Federal Laws On Mental Health Care Coverage

Tessa Weinberg

A new law will give the Department of Commerce and Insurance greater oversight to ensure mental health care is covered the same as physical conditions.

Health, Science & Environment

Tens Of Thousands Of Missourians Lose Health Insurance After Coronavirus Job Losses

Sarah Fentem

The number of people without health insurance has grown by an estimated 100,000 in Missouri and 186,000 in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the nonprofit Families USA.Coronavirus-related job losses have meant families are living without health care during a time they need it most, the researchers said. Many fearing high hospital bills are forgoing medical care and putting their lives at risk, doctors said.“Many, many people, millions of people, have lost their job, said Rachel Garfield, co-director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “And for many Americans, health insurance is tied to their employment.”

Researchers from Washington University analyzed the records of more than 58,000 children and teenagers in the U.S., revealing stark differences in death risk and survival between Medicaid patients and those with private insurance.

Health, Science & Environment

Young Cancer Patients On Medicaid At Higher Risk of Death, Say St. Louis Researchers

Shahla Farzan

Children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. can have a very different chance of survival based on the type of health insurance they have,…

Isabella McKenna (center) speaks at a press conference alongside (from left to right) Sen. Linda Homes, Rep. Greg Harris and Illinois State Medical Society President Paul Pedersen.

Government, Politics & Issues

Illinois Lawmakers Take Aim At 'Prior Authorization' In Health Insurance

Illinois lawmakers want to reduce delays in medical care caused by the requirements of insurance companies.They said the process, known as “prior…

Dierdre Wortham relaxes while members of her family play around her. Her son, Aiden (second from left) had to forgo treatment after the state removed them from Missouri's Medicaid program.

Health, Science & Environment

Critics Cry Foul As Missouri Medicaid Enrollment Hits 5-Year Low

Sarah Fentem

The number of people enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program reached a five-year low in December, falling to 846,554. That’s 130,000 fewer people —…

For sickle cell patients, opioids are often the only pain relief. But growing rates of addiction among the general public mean emergency room doctors are more cautious than ever in prescribing those powerful medications, causing challenges.

Health, Science & Environment

Missouri's Medicaid Expansion Ballot Initiative Gains Momentum

Sarah Fentem

The petition to put a Medicaid expansion in Missouri to a statewide vote has garnered more than 25% of the needed signatures to place the measure on the…

Regina Hartfield serves dinner for her children in their south St. Louis home. Hartfield said she's spent hours on the phone trying to get her children back on Medicaid.

Health, Science & Environment

Missouri Leads Nation In Rising Numbers Of Uninsured Children

Sarah Fentem

Missouri had the highest increase in the rate of uninsured children in the nation over the two-year period that ended in 2018, according to a study from…

Tim McBride is a professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and is co-director of the Center for Health Economics and Policy.

Health, Science & Environment

What You Need To Know As 2020 Affordable Care Act Deadline Approaches

Emily Woodbury

The deadline to enroll in a health care plan via the Affordable Care Act marketplace is Dec. 15. Are plans more or less affordable than in previous years?…

Missourians buying health insurance on the federal exchange likely won't see the sky-high rate increases that have becoming common in recent years in 2019. But experts say the marketplace's woes are far from over.

Health, Science & Environment

Experts Warn Of Rising Health Costs In Missouri Despite Lower ACA Premiums

Sarah Fentem

Missourians shopping for health insurance on the federal government’s online marketplace are likely to see slightly lower premium prices, but health…