The Effects of Medicaid Expansion in Missouri

Earlier this month, Missouri became the 38th state to expand Medicaid healthcare coverage. This new measure will allow about 300,000 people to gain coverage and greatly help the healthcare economy; it will create 24,000 jobs statewide and protect hospitals from budget cuts.

While it is great news that so many more people can now afford healthcare services, it is also important that we ensure they receive a high standard of care. Low-income individuals face unique challenges - for example,  having to lose an hour of pay to see a doctor who only works 9 to 5 - that must be considered when assessing healthcare access. Another large issue is the lack of trust between these patients and healthcare institutions. Many people report negative experiences where they were disrespected due to their insurance and financial status. If these issues go unaddressed, it poses the danger of bridging a larger gap between low-income patients and healthcare providers.

Caralyst is working to ensure that the positive effects of Medicare expansion are sustained by matching patients with physicians who can properly meet their needs. Simple measures, such as having access to free samples, can make a large difference in people's care and push towards health equity. In our future, we hope to collaborate with key St. Louis-based Medicare providers such as Centene and Barnes-Jewish Hospital and help them cater to all of their patients.