Missouri governor cans Medicaid expansion

Details: The expansion in Missouri was supposed to begin July 1.

• The expansion would have cost the state $130 million. It would also have come with a $1.4 billion federal match to pay for the program, NBC News reports.
• The state will also leave more incentive money on the table. Billions of dollars were set aside for states' expansion in the federal $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package passed in March, including more than $1 billion for Missouri, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
• In a release, Parson cited a 2020 lawsuit that challenged voters' ability to pass Medicaid expansion in a ballot initiative because they lacked a funding source. The Court of Appeals opinion issued in June said the General Assembly retained authority to fund expansion — or not — if it passed, his office said. 

What they're saying: "Although I was never in support of MO HealthNet expansion, I always said that I would uphold the ballot amendment if it passed," said Parson. He did request funding for the expansion in his proposed budget.

What's next: Expect more lawsuits.

• "Governor Parson's announcement today that he intends to ignore the will of Missouri's voters and violate the state constitution makes this a matter for Missouri's courts to resolve," Jonathan Schleifer, executive director of The Fairness Project said in a statement.