Medicaid Expansion Vote Headed for August Ballot
Recently, the governor announced that a ballot measure expanding the state’s Medicaid program will be placed on the Aug. 4 ballot. While ballot initiatives automatically go to the general election ballot, the governor has stated this particular measure was moved up in order to give the state extra time to prepare financially for whatever voters may decide. In my opinion, this was a wise move.
I believe expanding the state’s Medicaid program, MO HealthNet, is a big decision and will likely have a significant financial impact on the state. Already, MO HealthNet is the most expensive program in our state’s budget, costing billions of dollars every year, and the costs only continue to grow. From my perspective, expanding Medicaid will come at a cost and could possibly affect our state’s ability to fund other important priorities, such as education. Earlier this month for instance, the governor announced he would be withholding an additional $209 million from the state’s current fiscal year operating budget. According to the governor, these funding withholds are a result of the COVID-19 virus’ effect on our state. I believe the impact of the COVID-19 virus will continue to be felt for quite some time, and as a result of this financial uncertainty, I believe it’s important for the issue of Medicaid expansion to be decided sooner rather than later.
Now, with the Medicaid expansion measure appearing on the ballot during a primary election, there may be some confusion about how you can vote on this measure. The first thing to know is that Missouri has an open primary system, meaning any registered voter can receive a ballot for an established political party of their choosing without having to register with that political party. In addition to voting for party candidates, you will also have the opportunity to vote on the Medicaid expansion issue. Also note that voters who do not wish to select a party ballot may request an issues-only ballot, also allowing them to vote on the expansion measure. So, regardless of what ballot you choose, you’ll have an opportunity to help decide whether or not Missouri should expand Medicaid.
Please feel free to contact my office at (573) 751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.