JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, is joining with House of Representatives Budget Chairman Rep. Cody Smith, R-Carthage, in proposing a constitutional amendment to preserve important health care protections to Missourians and ensure Medicaid services remain affordable in the state.
The two lawmakers are sponsoring a pair of matching resolutions that would place vital health care safeguards before Missouri voters. The resolutions, which will be introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives, guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions, ensure that dependents continue to receive health care coverage through their parents’ insurance through age 26, prevent Missouri taxpayers dollars from being spent on out-of-state, non-Missouri Medicaid patients and require that all future appropriations for Medicaid expenditures be subject to the normal budget process.
There is currently a federal case working its way through the United States Supreme Court that threatens to invalidate a federal law that protects against health insurance companies denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. In response, many states have passed laws that protect against denial for pre-existing conditions should that portion of the federal law be invalidated by the Nation’s high court.
“These two measures ask Missouri’s voters to formally declare that health care coverage cannot be denied due to pre-existing conditions,” Sen. Luetkemeyer said. “The resolutions also guarantee that expenditures for Medicaid, which already accounts for a third of the state budget, will continue to be considered and approved in a thoughtful, responsible manner, ensuring the long-term viability of the program.”
During his State of the State Address earlier in the legislative session, the governor warned of the devastating fiscal impact Medicaid expansion would have on the state’s budget, including funding priorities like education and infrastructure. The governor stated that such expansion would be tantamount to a tax increase.
As chairman of the Budget Committee in the House of Representatives, Rep. Smith, stressed the need to continue to view Missouri’s Medicaid program within the context of the overall state budget. “The constitutional provision requires this state to operate within a balanced budget,” Rep. Smith said. “This resolution recognizes that decisions about Medicaid must be made with the understanding that money for one program, necessarily must come at the expense of another program. The proper place to make those decisions is in the budget process.”
For more information about Sen. Luetkemeyer, visit www.senate.mo.gov/mem34.