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Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., issued the following statement after the release of Governor Mike Parson’s letter to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“Last year, the majority of Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion at the ballot box because it will improve the health of our citizens, create jobs, and grow our economy. Unfortunately, the General Assembly decided to defy the will of the people and strip funding for Medicaid expansion from the budget. Neither the legislature’s decision to cut Medicaid expansion from the budget nor the Governor’s procedural action today overturns the will of the people. On behalf of the St. Louis business community, we will continue to explore every opportunity to ensure Medicaid expansion, as approved by the people, is implemented for the benefit of Missouri’s residents, businesses, and our economy.”
Background
In 2020, 53 percent of Missouri voters chose to expand Medicaid to provide healthcare coverage to individuals and families with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Greater St. Louis, Inc., and several of its predecessor organizations, have actively supported Medicaid expansion, both during the implementation process this year and during the statewide campaign to approve Medicaid expansion (Amendment 2).