MO HealthNet

Two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Missouri have filed complaints with a state hearing commission, arguing that a new law blocking the clinics from receiving Medicaid reimbursements is unconstitutional.

Missouri has removed roughly 136,000 kids from its Medicaid rolls since June 2023. But the state's worst-in-nation processing delays make it difficult to re-enroll — causing many to miss doctor’s appointments and critical prescriptions.

Health experts say that MO HealthNet covering dental exams is a significant step in Missouri's effort to improve dental access — and to boost overall health beyond cavities, molars and gums.

The Federal Reimbursement allowance is set to expire at the end of September. The bill in question would extend the tax through September 2029.

On Jan. 1, those 18 and under who enroll in Missouri's insurance programs for low-income people will not be removed for 12 months.

In a letter Wednesday to Missouri Department of Social Services Director Todd Richardson, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services assessed how well the state is complying with rules for disenrolling people from health insurance programs for poor and disabled people. The average person calling the social services helpline had to wait 48 minutes to talk to someone.

June was the first month of eligibility reviews for Missouri's roughly 1.5 million Medicaid enrollees. Children accounted for half of all the state's Medicaid terminations, mostly for procedural reasons.

During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government issued emergency protections that barred states from removing people from the government-funded health insurance program for low-income people and families. That changes this month.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government prevented states from kicking people off MO HealthNet, Missouri's Medicaid health insurance program. That provision ends April 1, and state residents will once more need to prove their eligibility for the low-cost coverage.

In the year after Missouri expanded Medicaid, the state struggled to sign up people for the government-funded health insurance program. Now, more than 1 million Missourians are enrolled. The federal government barred states from kicking anyone off Medicaid during the coronavirus pandemic. But when those protections expire this spring, patients will need to renew their coverage. Advocates and health officials worry that eligible people could drop off the rolls.