MEDICAID FUNDING PROPOSAL SEEMS WORKABLE

A solution is at hand for getting more doctors and dentists in Missouri to handle Medicaid patients, particularly the growing number of children in the program.

Both doctors and dentists are asking the state to increase levels of reimbursement. Many don't see Medicaid patients now because it sometimes costs them far more to treat the patient than the amount they get reimbursed.

If $22.5 million were taken from Missouri's general revenue fund to support children's Medicaid, the state would pay all of a doctor's Medicaid expenses, allowing children to get care anywhere. If the aim is to provide good health care to youngsters in order to avoid costly care later, covering more of doctors' costs makes sense.

The idea has been forwarded by the Missouri Medicaid Reform Coalition, which advocates using the $22.5 million in state money to draw federal matching funds of $35.5 million.

When that much federal money is available to a program that isn't working well, the state should go after it.