MO HealthNet could save money!
An article in MissouriNet today discusses the new MO HealthNet plan and the challenges it still faces:
MO Health Net, SB 577,
is the ambitious replacement for Missouri’s Medicaid program. "We’re
busily working on our timelines and the various steps that we will have
to take to make MO Health Net happen," says Deborah Scott, director of
the Department of Social Services. The MO Health Net bill gives the
department much flexibility in hammering out the details of the bill.
It does include, though, an Oversight Committee to watch its
development and provide input, something Scott says she welcomes.
Overall, the bill is a step in the right direction to control the rising cost of Medicaid that is a large part of the state budget and costing Missouri taxpayers more every year. In the FY 2008 budget, Medicaid would cost the state more than $150 million dollars. The governor hopes that putting the focus on prevention of health problems and early health screenings would prevent more money being spent to treat people who waited until the last minute to be diagnosed and treated for illnesses they have. In conjunction with HB 818, this is a step in the right direction in improving health care access to Missourians of all income levels.
