missouri news

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Fate of ‘uninsurables’ hinges on Supreme Court, 5/18/12
Cancer patient Kathy Watson voted Republican in 2008 and believes the government has no right telling Americans to get health insurance. Nonetheless, she says she'd be dead if it weren't for President Barack Obama's health care law.

St. Louis Beacon: Legislators act to prohibit state health insurance exchange, 5/18/12
The Missouri General Assembly has acted to bar “the establishment, creation, or operation of a state-based health-insurance exchange” unless the voters or legislators approve it.

Columbia Daily Tribune: Judge rejects lawsuit over Medicaid bids, 5/12/12
A judge dismissed a legal challenge yesterday to Missouri's new Medicaid contracts, brushing aside an attempt to halt an enrollment period for 430,000 low-income residents picking among three insurance providers.

national news

Politico: Few states set for health exchanges, 4/24/12
Many insurance experts and health policy consultants predict only a dozen or so states will be ready to run exchanges on their own — and a few say that projection may be too sunny.

NPR: Health insurance cutbacks squeeze the insured, 5/23/12
More than 1 in 5 Americans had a problem getting insurance to pay for a hospital, doctor or other health care in the past year, according to a new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health.

Kaiser Health News: Higher prices charged by hospitals, other providers, drove health spending during downturn, 5/22/12
Higher prices charged by hospitals, outpatient centers and other providers drove up health care spending at double the rate of inflation during the economic downturn– even as patients consumed less medical care overall, according to a new study.

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cover missouri feature

Save The Date: Supreme Court Decision On ACA
Discussion on Impact of Supreme Court Ruling on Health Reform

Twenty-six states have challenged the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in federal court. In March of this year, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of the ACA. Health Reform: The Case Before the U.S. Supreme Court outlines four core issues the court is expected to rule on. A ruling in the case is expected in late June. On July 25, 2012 the St. Louis Business Journal will host a breakfast seminar, Health Reform: The Impact of the Supreme Court Decision at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) Director of Health Policy Ryan Barker and Policy Analyst Thomas McAuliffe will be on hand to discuss the Supreme Court decision and what it means for Missouri. In addition to answering your questions, panelists will discuss:

• What does the Court’s decision mean for implementation of the ACA?
• Where is Missouri in the process of implementing the ACA?
• How does this ruling impact businesses in Missouri? and
• If the ACA is thrown out, what does it mean for health care and health insurance in Missouri?

This event is free to attend; however, registration is required.

Learn more

Health Reform: The Case Before the U.S. Supreme Court

Register for Health Reform: The Impact of the Supreme Court Decision