Following the conclusion of the 2023 Missouri legislative session on May 12th, the RHC has published a legislative “wrap-up” to summarize the wins, losses, and issues to keep an eye on going forward. You can read the full wrap-up here, or find summaries of the key policy issues we are tracking below. If you missed…
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On April 27th, the Regional Health Commission released a statement on gender-affirming care in response to the Missouri Attorney General’s emergency regulation. Read the statement from the RHC below, or click to download a pdf version. The St. Louis Regional Health Commission and Alive and Well Communities advocate for access to gender-affirming care for transgender…
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Annual renewals for MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) will begin April 1, 2023. Beginning April 1, Family Support Division will need to check the eligibility of all MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) participants. If you are a Missourian who gets healthcare coverage through MO HealthNet or any of the Managed Care health plans (Healthy Blue, Home State Health,…
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Overview The Regional Health Commission (RHC) has partnered with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health (DPH) to mass-enroll people incarcerated in the St. Louis County Jail in Medicaid health insurance coverage. The goal of the initiative is to help those who are incarcerated apply and enroll in Medicaid so that when they are…
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ST. LOUIS, September 26, 2022 – On October 6th, 2022, the RHC with partners Behavioral Health Network of Greater St. Louis (BHN), Generate Health, St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (LSEM) hosted a Town Hall and Educational Roundtable event, centered around Medicaid and Reproductive Health. If you were unable…
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In August 2020, Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion, making more than 200,000 Missourians eligible to receive healthcare coverage under Medicaid. However, since its approval, significant backlogs in application processing have prevented Missouri residents from receiving care — as of June 2022, over 58,000 Missourians had pending Medicaid applications. Although federal guidelines require Medicaid applications to…
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Following the Supreme Court’s decision to ban abortion, states now have the legal authority to regulate abortion access. Shortly after the decision was released, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt certified House Bill 126, which holds that abortion is illegal in all cases except where a medical emergency threatens the life of the pregnant person. Follow…
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In collaboration with Homegrown STL, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and St. Louis University, the RHC has launched CoverSTL, an initiative developed to coordinate Medicaid expansion outreach efforts across the region. The CoverSTL page features the RHC’s Medicaid Expansion HelpLine, a step-by-step application video, and a map of Medicaid application assistance locations across St. Louis…
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This week, St. Louis Public Radio published an article highlighting the efforts of Missouri’s religious leaders as they spread the word about the state’s recently expanded Medicaid program. Missouri Faith Voices, a grassroots organization made of faith leaders in St. Louis, Springfield, Jefferson City, and other parts of the state, has volunteers going door to…
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An article by the Missouri Independent published this week highlights the extended wait times that Missouri residents are facing to get approved for health insurance through Medicaid expansion. According to the state’s latest figures, almost 73,000 Missourians had Medicaid applications pending as of January, and the time that residents are waiting for approval is increasing….
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A recent article published by the St. Louis American highlights criticism from Missouri health leaders, including RHC CEO Angela Brown, as they respond to the HJR 117 bill that puts Missourian’s access to Medicaid at risk. The article notes, “HJR 117 would give the state legislature discretion whether to fund expanded Medicaid and to place…
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