Missouri led nation in reductions to Medicaid roll

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's Medicaid program is leading the nation in the number of people dropped from its rolls.

New figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show Missouri's Medicaid enrollment dropped by 37,260 people in June, compared with its average enrollment from July through September of last year.

That was the largest numerical decrease of any state, though it ranked second behind Nebraska in terms of the percentage decline.

Missouri, Nebraska, Alabama and Wyoming were the only states that reported enrollment declines during that period, which coincided with the launch of new online insurance marketplaces required under the federal health-care law.

Missouri's Medicaid program switched to a new computer system during that time and also experienced delays in verifying referrals from the federally run insurance website.