This week, the Missouri Senate passed several meaningful pieces of legislation that are sure to not only help, but protect countless Missourians. Work on the 2019 fiscal year budget has also continued. During this week’s Appropriations Committee hearing, I presented Senate Bill 818 to the committee for its consideration.
Senate Bill 818 will change the way the MO HealthNet Division calculates the Medicaid per diem reimbursement rate for participating long-term care facilities. Under current law, facility reimbursement rates were recalculated on July 1, 2004, resulting in an anecdotal reimbursement rates for current facilities. This proposal requires the recalculation of reimbursement rates on July 1 of every year, using facility cost reports for the year ending not more than two years before the year for which the new rate is to be recalculated. If passed, Senate Bill 818, will allow a more clear and up-to-date per diem reimbursement rate for these facilities which care for some of our state’s most vulnerable citizens.
On Thursday, the Senate approved another piece of legislation benefiting seniors across the state. Senate Bill 563 restores the cuts made to the MO Rx Program, and removes the Medicaid dual-eligible only requirement. As a result of the legislation, every senior who is eligible for the program prior to the 2017 budget cuts will now be able to afford their need prescriptions.
The MO Rx program was created to help seniors with out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. The Senate is committed to supporting our senior citizens in the Show-Me State. By passing this measure, we will restore prescription drug assistance to nearly 60,000 Missouri seniors who will once again be able to afford their vital, life-saving prescriptions.
As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. To find more information about the bills I sponsor, visit www.senate.mo.gov/brown. Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.