The Missouri Hospital Association reports a dramatic increase in uninsured and underinsured patients checking into emergency rooms.

Missouri lawmakers continue to grapple with finding ways to identify uninsured children and enroll them in the state's health-care system.

Area community health centers, a large chunk of the health care safety net that serves the uninsured and underinsured, have been strained by a major boost in business during the past year.

A growing number of workers in 2009 will pay more for health benefits -- and in some cases receive less coverage -- as their employers grapple with the financial fallout of rising medical expenses and diminished revenue and profits, recent surveys of human resource officials show.

Congress is poised to hand President Barack Obama a quick legislative victory on health care, giving a boost to his goal of covering every child in the nation.

Fewer than one in 10 jobless workers extends their former employer's medical coverage, a new study has found.

The latest news is available at
www.CoverMissouri.org

The Missouri Foundation for Health has released the 2009 edition of Medicaid Basics. This publication provides an overview of Medicaid and an overview of the state’s Medicaid program called MO HealthNet. MO HealthNet is a network of programs providing public health insurance to low-income children, their parents, and disabled and elderly individuals.

Medicaid Basics reviews the eligibility requirements and programs and services offered through MO HealthNet. The publication offers definitions and explanations of MO HealthNet programs, including the Chronic Care Improvement Program (CCIP). CCIP provides case management for individuals with chronic conditions and is designed to reduce complications associated with their conditions and reduce costs associated with providing care.

The 2009 version of Medicaid Basics also includes maps providing county by county data on MO HealthNet enrollment and a new segment entitled Medicaid and the Economy. This segment discusses trends during economic downturns and the impact on Medicaid. For example unemployment increases, individuals lose their employer-sponsored health insurance, incomes decline, and Medicaid enrollment expands.

As enrollment in Medicaid increases, so does state spending on the program. Medicaid enrollment is expected to increase by an average of 3.6 percent across the country in the 2009 fiscal year.

• Read the report (PDF)