With key tax held hostage by Republicans, Missouri Medicaid chief warns of ‘crippling’ cuts – By Kurt Erickson (St Louis Post-Dispatch) / May 25 2021
JEFFERSON CITY — The acting head of Missouri’s Medicaid program predicted disaster for his agency Tuesday if state lawmakers don’t renew a special tax that pays for much of the $11 billion program.
Kirk Mathews, a former member of the Missouri House who is now serving as the interim director of the Mo HealthNet program, said the lack of the tax could result in a massive meltdown in services to low-income enrollees.
“The existence of the program will be threatened by the end of the year. I cannot overstate the impact, the importance of that,” Mathews told members of a panel that oversees Medicaid services.
In addition to potentially having to reduce reimbursements to medical providers, Mathews said it could affect the department’s ability to meet payroll.
“It is crippling. The absence of the (tax) by the end of December would make it challenging to even pay our employees,” Mathews said.
