July 17, 2006

Governor Sets Conditions for Legislative Special Session on Medicaid

This week, Gov. Matt Blunt announced he is willing to convene a legislative special session to extend Medicaid coverage to 3,200 disabled Missourians if the session also addresses Medicaid provider fraud legislation and he receives assurances of legislative support for a strong Medicaid fraud bill.

A bipartisan group of state legislators has asked the governor to call a special session on the Medicaid coverage issue. Medicaid budget cuts in 2005 were projected by the state to remove about 17,000 disabled persons from the Medicaid rolls. During the 2006 session, legislators included money in the state budget to pay for restoring Medicaid coverage to 3,200 disabled persons.

However, legislators failed to pass a bill in the 2006 session to authorize the expanded coverage. In the session’s final day, the Missouri Senate merged such a bill with Medicaid provider fraud legislation and returned it to the House. Key House leaders, favoring a less aggressive stance on Medicaid fraud, declined to debate the measure.

In a press release, Blunt said that “if the House were to tell me that they are ready to pass a strong Medicaid fraud bill similar to the one the Senate passed and that I supported, I would be willing to call a special session to deal with both issues” [Medicaid fraud and coverage of the disabled].

Legislators are authorized to call themselves into special session without gubernatorial approval but only with a three-quarters majority in each chamber.

Blunt’s press release, posted at www.gov.mo.gov/press/Statement071206.htm, also referenced his administration's initiatives to combat Medicaid waste and fraud, including an annual verification of enrollees’ continued eligibility.

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