DEADLINES MISSED ON MO HEALTHNET REPORTS

Only one of six reports on various aspects of the state’s health care system that lawmakers required as part of last year’s bill renaming Medicaid as MO HealthNet was submitted on time and three have yet to be finished or even started, The Associated Press reported on Jan. 7.

The reports were due by Jan. 1. Only Attorney General Jay Nixon’s office turned in its mandated report on time. Two reports from the Missouri Department of Social Services were turned in on Jan. 2.

One of the tardy reports is due from the Joint Committee on MO HealthNet, which is to consist of five senators and five representatives. However, no members have yet been appointed to the panel. Reports from the legislative budget office and the recently created MO HealthNet Oversight Committee, which oversees the program, are also late.

SENATE APPROVES MEDICAID OVERHAUL BILL

The Senate on April 4 approved a bill to rename Medicaid as MO HealthNet and make other changes to the state health care program for the poor. Under a 2005 law, the program is slated to be eliminated next year. The bill, SB 577 repeals that sunset.

The measure doesn’t restore coverage to any of the 180,000 Missourians who lost it when lawmakers cut the program two years ago. Republican senators defeated attempts to restore coverage. Democrats, however, were successful in expanding health screenings and family planning services for tens of thousands of women.

MEDICAID RULING

On March 2, U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple ordered Missouri to reinstate coverage for durable medical equipment under the Medicaid program. Medicaid cuts championed by Republicans in 2005 eliminated coverage for some durable medical equipment but allowed it in other cases. Although states aren’t required to provide the equipment, Whipple said the state violated federal Medicaid rules by not setting a reasonable standard explaining why some equipment is covered while other equipment isn’t.

MEDICAID

On Feb. 22, Senate Majority Floor Leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, filed long-awaited legislation to overhaul Medicaid. Under Republican legislation enacted in 2005, Medicaid will cease to exist in 2008 unless renewed this year. Shields’ bill calls for renaming Medicaid MO HealthNet and renaming the Division of Medical Services the MO HealthNet Division. It would offer financial incentives to doctors and hospital for providing good care and give recipients bonuses for making healthy lifestyle choices, such as quitting smoking. It would also shift Medicaid recipients into one of three managed care systems by 2013. The bill would not restore health care coverage to any of the 177,000 Missourians kicked off Medicaid since the cuts of 2005. See the following link for more information: http://www.senate.mo.gov/07info/bts_web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=28834

Ticket To Work

On Feb. 15, the House of Representatives approved a bill to restore Medicaid coverage to approximately 4,000 disabled workers whose health care coverage was eliminated by Gov. Matt Blunt and Republican lawmakers in 2005. The bill partially revives the Ticket to Work program, which allowed disabled workers with modest incomes to continue to qualify for state-funded health care. After the program was eliminated, many affected workers had to chose between keeping their jobs and keeping their health care benefits.

Medicaid

Gov. Matt Blunt’s proposal to rename Missouri’s Medicaid program as MO HealthNet and make other changes to the system would result in only about 10,000 additional people receiving health care coverage, the governor told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a Jan. 26 story. Since Blunt took office in 2005 and signed legislation making it harder to qualify for Medicaid, there are 177,000 fewer people enrolled in the program.