One of the most controversial issues this legislative session has been proposed cuts to Medicaid. In the end, very little was cut. House Budget Committee ChairmanCarl Bearden of St. Charles insisted the state must rein in the growth of Medicaid. He points out nearly one in five Missourians have some sort of state-subsidized health insurance, and that more are being added daily to the Medicaid rolls. Still, Bearden failed during budget negotiations to push through the kind of cuts he wanted.An obvious improvement in the state’s revenue growth which came to light during budget negotiations undercut momentum to change Medicaid says Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman John Russell. The House had proposed changes in eligibility and fiscal constraints that could have forced thousands off Medicaid. The budget sent to the Governor will remove only about 340.
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