Missouri Commentary: State Unprepared for Federal Medicaid Work Rules
In a Missouri Independent commentary, the author argues that Missouri is unprepared for Medicaid and SNAP cuts in the federal reconciliation law known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which CBO estimates will cut federal Medicaid spending by $911 billion over a decade. The piece cites Georgetown McCourt School tracking data showing Missouri earned red flags on 7 of 8 readiness metrics for implementing new Medicaid work requirements taking effect January 1, 2027, and a new six-month renewal requirement for expansion enrollees. The author notes 333,265 Missourians lost Medicaid coverage from January 2025 through February 2026, 91.9% for procedural rather than eligibility reasons, and argues state lawmakers and congressional delegation members, including Sen. Josh Hawley, did little to mitigate the law's impact despite voting for it. The piece also links new SNAP documentation requirements implemented October 1 to a drop in enrollment and an estimated $150 million new state cost if error rates persist.