Missouri approves Medicaid expansion

About a month after Oklahoma voters approved of Medicaid expansion, Kaiser Health News reports that residents of Missouri also voted to approve Medicaid expansion. While the federal government would pay for 90% of the cost of expansion (at least initially), it appears that opponents are concerned about the 10% of the cost that the state is liable for, and how that might grow over time. Part of the opposing rhetoric was reported to tap into fears that Medicaid expansion would attract illegal immigrants.

An interesting comment from a health policy expert was that people support giving low-income families access to Medicaid coverage, although a number of people may oppose similar measures when labeled as Medicaid expansion or Affordable Care Act. Another interesting detail that was reported is that voters in the three counties with the highest uninsured rates in the state rejected the expansion.