Aug 5, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Missouri voters approve Medicaid expansion

A poll worker helps a voter access his ballot at Keevan Elementary School August 4, 2020 in St. Louis, Missouri.

A poll worker helps a voter access his ballot in St. Louis on Tuesday. Photo: Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images

Missouri residents on Tuesday voted for Medicaid expansion for low-income adults by a majority of 52%, AP reports.

Why it matters: Some 230,000 Missourians will benefit from the measure, which marks the sixth time voters have gone against a resistant Republican-led Legislature, Politico notes. It's the 38th state to back the expansion under former President Obama's signature health care law, AP notes. It comes amid the backdrop of a pandemic that's seen over 54,000 cases and more than 1,200 deaths from COVID-19 in Missouri.

Go deeper: The effect of Medicaid expansion on the uninsured

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