Healthier habits would reduce the strain on Missouri’s Medicaid budget, but how to motivate recipients to improve their health is a matter of debate for the Medicaid Reform Commission. Some on the Commission lean toward the carrot, others prefer the stick. Medicaid Reform Commission Chairman Charlie Shields, a Republican senator from St. Joseph, says incentives could be built into Medicaid to encourage the obese to undergo nutrition counseling and smokers to take cessation classes. Shields hears a different approach from Representative David Sater (R-Cassville), who argues that if taxpayers pay the bills, they should be able to mandate that Medicaid recipients take courses to improve their health. Representative Allen Icet (R-Wildwood) says pregnant mothers on Medicaid should take prenatal classes. Shields advocates incentives to get recipients to take nutrition counseling or smoking cessation classes. Such incentives could be cheaper co-pays or even tickets to events and theme parks. State Health Director Julie Eckstein says Medicaid recipients should be given a health risk assessment as the first step toward improving their health habits. Representative Margaret Donnelly (D-St. Louis) questions the value of mandates, arguing that they would be impossible to enforce.Senator Pat Dougherty (D-St. Louis) questions the fiscal benefit of such a tactic. He points out Medicaid’s largest population consists of the elderly and the disabled and improved health habits wouldn’t affect that many Medicaid recipients.
Healthy Habits Could Improve Medicaid’s Bottom Line
by admin | Nov 15, 2005 | Health / Medicine, Legislature, Politics / Govt | 0 comments