Sharpen your #2 pencil and dust off your three-ring (Lisa Frank) binder. It’s time for a quick math lesson! Let’s breakdown some simple math that’s summarized nicely in this infographic. Medicaid expansion has the potential to connect nearly 90,000 people in the HCF service area with health insurance, bringing $325 million to the area for […]

Ask anyone who needs ongoing health care for a chronic condition and they’ll tell you that it’s a crying shame that the Missouri legislature failed to expand Medicaid again. Approximately 300,000 individuals will not qualify for Medicaid or the health insurance marketplace because they are cramped in the coverage gap at up to 138 percent […]

I wrote last week about the journey toward Medicaid, Part 1. I was asked by several people what Part 2 would be. That remains to be determined. Part 1 included the work that went into laying the groundwork around Medicaid changes in Missouri. This was the opportunity for people to examine and understand the options […]

By the end of January, about 9 million Americans had signed up for health insurance, a mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). February tallies logged about 3.3 million people who received a health insurance plan via a state exchange or through HealthCare.gov. Other figures conclude that 6.3 million people received new or renewed Medicaid […]

There’s a concerted effort underway right now to convince Missouri legislators to change their collective mind and vote to expand Medicaid. Whether successful or not, expanding Medicaid is the right thing to do. The Greater Kansas City Chamber has been fully supportive of Medicaid expansion, for two important reasons. First, it makes good economic sense. […]

Before we bid farewell to an eventful year dominated by the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, our HCF associates take a look back at significant events and projects and share their insights about the year 2013. On day 10 (and the final day) of our year in review, HCF President/CEO Bridget McCandless, M.D., looks […]

It’s a scene repeated all over the USA. A principal testifying at a legislative hearing will pour out her heart, asking for support services for students who qualify for free/reduced price lunches. “Their parents make just 225 percent of the federal poverty level or less!” the principal will plead. “What?!” a legislator will rage. “You […]

Tomorrow marks the start of the first open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplace that was created as part of the Affordable Care Act (aka the ACA, Obamacare, health reform). While the enrollment scene looks different in every state, one common thread in both Kansas and Missouri is that neither state has opted to […]

The Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) recently published a report called: Data Book: Missouri Health and Health Care. This report was designed to help members of the Missouri legislature understand the facts of the Missouri Medicaid program so that legislators could make informed decisions in the upcoming session. Some interesting facts from this report I want […]