JEFFERSON CITY — Beyond all expectations for this session, Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, advanced the movement to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act by forcing legislation that establishes a Joint Committee on Medicaid Transformation. During the debate on a bill dealing with health care, Senator Nasheed offered an amendment to the bill that would have fully enacted the Medicaid expansion to ensure health care coverage for the over 250,000 Missouri citizens now without health care insurance. Despite pressure from both parties to withdraw the motion, Senator Nasheed refused. 

“This is not the time to back down or give in,” Sen. Nasheed said. “Equal for all is the purpose and the reason, and healthcare should be no different.”

With Senator Nasheed remaining unyielding to the pressure to withdraw her amendment, the majority leadership sought a compromise in order to keep bills moving in the final days of the legislative session. An across-the-aisle colleague then offered an amendment to the bill, establishing the joint committee, and Sen. Nasheed expressed her appreciation for her associate and the members of the majority party for not allowing this legislative session to end without the discussion of Medicaid expansion moving forward.

“I know that compromise that it took for these members of the majority to finally allow my measure through,” Sen. Nasheed said. “It is with my utmost thanks for their consideration that we move forward!”

Senator Nasheed views the establishment of the joint committee as providing the vehicle for Missouri to craft Medicaid expansion legislation unique to Missouri, as other states, such as Arkansas, have done. Senator Nasheed is committed to seeing Medicaid expansion become a reality in this state.