Missouri Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Medicaid Expansion

The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week in favor of the voter-approved expansion of Medicaid. Their ruling vacates a circuit court ruling that said expansion violates the state constitution’s prohibition on voters creating new programs that aren’t funded. The decision by the Supreme Court sends the case back to the circuit court who is instructed to enter a judgment in favor of those who sought expansion of the program. Three women who were eligible under the expansion sued the state in May after the legislature failed to appropriate extra money for the program and Governor Mike Parson instructed his administration not to expand eligibility because it wasn’t funded. The expanded eligibility was set to begin July 1st. Voters approved the amendment to expand Medicaid for low income people last August.