[Nfbmo] Fwd: FW: Where are we with Medicaid expansion now? Point in time update

[DanFlasar at aol.com]

____________________________________
 From: cory.j.mcmahon at gmail.com
To: cory.j.mcmahon at gmail.com
Sent: 3/6/2013  7:34:52 A.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: FW: Where are we with Medicaid  expansion now? Point in time update
Cory  McMahon
 
     
Where are we with Medicaid  expansion now? 
I thought it was time to  bring folks up to speed on the where we are 
regarding Medicaid  expansion.  We have five bills that touch on Medicaid 
expansion  plus the budget bills that must include expansion as well.  So  first, 
the five bills that would put Medicaid expansion into statute  have been 
filed so far: 
HB 627 Hummel’s bill  (straight forward Medicaid expansion) was heard last 
week and voted down  in committee. 
SB 349 LeVota’s bill  (straight forward Medicaid expansion) was referred to 
Approps  Committee.   
SB 131 Nasheed’s bill  (straight forward Medicaid expansion with annual 
sunsets) was referred  to Veterans and Health Committee no hearing  scheduled. 
HB 700 Barnes’ bill  (Medicaid reform with no expansion) was filed last 
week and has not been  referred to committee. 
SB 456 Parson’s bill (no  expansion but would sunset any change to 
MoHealthNet in three years) was  filed last week and has not been referred to a 
committee.   
We do not think that Barnes  bill will heard until after spring break.  We 
may have a hearing on  SB 349 before that so stay tuned. 
Medicaid expansion coming  out of the House budget committee is seems to be 
unlikely.   Chairman Stream has mentioned in committee that he plans on not 
 including Medicaid expansion in the committee substitutes that will drop  
tomorrow.  Chairman Schaeffer has gone out of his way to throw cold  water 
on expansion and on the ACA in the press, on the floor and in  committee.  So 
it will be interesting to see how the Senate  Appropriation committee will 
deal with the Governor’s recommended  budget. 
There has been a flurry of  Tea Party activity around Medicaid expansion 
this week with noted Tea  Party bloggers jumping on Sen. Parsons and Sen. 
Dempsey regarding the  filing of SB 456, calling it a shell bill could be a 
stealth vehicle for  expansion.  Dempsey and Parsons felt compelled to respond 
via  social media that they are against expansion and the  ACA. 
As we move forward we will  try and watch the many balls in the air as 
expansion moves  forward.   
 
Brian Colby 
Policy Director
 
Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance
206-769-3497 new  cell number
 
_bcolby at mohealthalliance.org_ (mailto:bcolby at mohealthalliance.org)