Judge orders state to start enrolling people eligible under Medicaid expansion
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Cole County judge on Tuesday ordered state officials to begin enrolling people eligible for Medicaid under an expansion that voters approved last August.
Judge Jon Beetem in his order said the state must start enrolling people eligible under expansion, which was set to start July 1 before state officials decided not to expand eligibility, leading to a court battle. The Missouri Supreme Court sided with proponents of expansion last month, ordering Beetem to reverse his earlier ruling in favor of the state's arguments against expansion.
The high court's decision was unanimous.
The state had argued that expanding the program amounted to appropriations by ballot initiative, which is prohibited under the Missouri Constitution, after the legislature refused to set aside money for the expansion.
MO HealthNet, the name of the state's Medicaid program, has one of the nation's strictest eligibility rules. It does not cover most non-disabled adults without children. Parents are able to qualify if their household income is below 21% of the federal poverty line, which in 2021 is less than $5,000 a year for a family of three.
Under expansion, an individual making about $18,000 per year would be eligible.
Beetem's ruling also prohibits the state from "imposing any greater or additional burdens or restrictions on eligibility or enrollment standards, methodologies, or practices on individuals" under expansion. He also ordered the state to post the order on relevant state websites.
House Minority Leader Rep. Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, praised the ruling and noted it happened on the day the state celebrates 200 years of statehood.
"Can’t think of a better way to celebrate Missouri’s 200th bday than the will of the voters being upheld and the Missouri Constitution ensuring access to healthcare for 275,000 Missourians," she wrote on Twitter.
