Jefferson City, MO – The National Health Law Program, on behalf of 33 health and patient advocacy groups and mostly Missouri-based health economists, law professors, and researchers, has filed an amicus brief with the Missouri Supreme Court. The Court is considering a case challenging the State’s refusal to implement the Medicaid expansion, which voters enacted through a ballot initiative in 2020. The amicus brief contends that the implementation of expanded eligibility for Medicaid would positively impact the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of Missourians, as well as the State’s economy.
“As we note in our brief, the effects of Medicaid expansion have been heavily studied, with researchers often comparing expansion and non-expansion states,” said Jane Perkins, Legal Director at the National Health Law Program. “Their findings are highly consistent: Medicaid expansion has increased health care coverage and improved access to and use of necessary services. This increased access has, in turn, improved health outcomes and reduced the financial burdens of health care and a range of health disparities. Medicaid expansion has also produced wide-ranging, positive effects on states’ economies. Passage of the American Rescue Plan Act has made it quite clear that Missouri can accomplish Medicaid expansion without additional state expenditures. We strongly urge the Court to respect the will of the voters and ensure that the state expands its Medicaid program.”
A copy of the amicus can be accessed here.
