Cape Residents Attend MFH Medicaid Forum to Learn

MFH vice president of Health Policy Ryan Barker distills information about the state's Medicaid program and facts about potential expansion of the program under the Affordable Care Act.

Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) experts held a community forum in Cape Girardeau on February 25 to discuss and provide non-partisan insight on key issues surrounding Medicaid expansion in Missouri.

The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2012 ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also commonly called Obamacare, left the decision of whether or not to expand the Medicaid program to the states. Missouri lawmakers are currently weighing the pros and cons of expansion, with a Missouri House committee rejecting one proposal to expand the program the same day as the forum. Some believe we should not expand because the state can't afford it. Others say we must expand the program or give up billions of federal dollars and the health of many fellow Missourians.

The Cape Girardeau forum, held at the Osage Center with 45 in attendance, was the second of eight events to take place across the state. Following a presentation covering the specifics of expansion to include about 300,000 Missourians to the program and covering both sides of the argument, MFH encouraged audience members to ask questions.

Several citizens voiced concerns with cost of expansion. Others questioned who would pay for the statewide expansion and what would happen if the federal government doesn't follow through with its match program.

Other questions from the audience focused on how the state could afford to pay for an expansion, what would happen to the federal dollars allocated to Missouri if the state chooses not to expand the eligibility requirements, and whether or not individuals who fall under the new income guidelines in the expansion would be penalized for not having insurance if Missouri chooses not to expand Medicaid.

Some proponents of expansion voiced their concern of what neglecting to move forward would mean for rural hospitals. Some say that without the additional funds provided by the expansion that would have offset other payment cuts made by the ACA, some hospitals could be forced to close.

MFH will be hosting five other forums across the state in Springfield, Rolla, Columbia, St. Peters, and Kirksville.

For more information on the Medicaid Community Forums taking place across the state, visit http://bit.ly/MoMedicaid or mffh.org.