Aid cut for 300 Missouri seniors, people with disabilities

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- About 300 Missouri seniors and people with disabilities have lost in-home care services after a budget cut last year.

Department of Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Sara O'Connor in a Friday email said 303 people have been cut from those services. She said another roughly 950 have either died, moved, moved to a nursing home or no longer need services.

Funding cuts last year triggered more stringent eligibility requirements for aid for the elderly and disabled. Republican Gov. Eric Greitens vetoed a bill that would have prevented cuts, and lawmakers have not agreed on another funding source.

According to O'Connor, about 3,500 who had been at risk of losing services still are getting in-home care, and another 2,700 people have not yet had their eligibility reassessed.