Democrats Call for Special Session on MAWD

Democrats look on with concern as Republican in-fighting threatens efforts to resurrect a state program for disabled workers. Governor Blunt insists Medicaid provider fraud must be addressed if he is to call a special session to consider reviving a scaled-down version of the Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities (MAWD) program. Republican House leaders seem resistent to addressing the fraud issue. Assistant House Minority Leader Paul LeVota (D-Independence) says Democrats want a chance to resurrect MAWD, whether or not the legislature takes up the issue of Medicaid provider fraud. LeVota says Democrats believe the governor has made a mistake in linking the two issues. He says MAWD is too important to set aside, because Republicans can’t agree on a Medicaid fraud bill. LeVota says it’s odd to watch disagreements among Republicans threaten getting anything accomplished this year on MAWD, even though there’s widespread agreement that it should be renewed.