Staff Contact: Brian Kinkade
The Missouri Medicaid caseload grew by 11,700 in April to a record 1,071,000 participants. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2021, Missouri’s Medicaid caseload has grown nearly 225,000, or 26.5%. The number of children covered has increased by nearly 140,000 during this time.
The record growth in the caseload is expected and will continue throughout calendar year 2021. To qualify for a 6.2% increase in federal matching funds under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, states may not end a participant’s Medicaid coverage unless the participant moves to another state, dies or requests that their coverage end while the COVID-19 public health emergency is in effect. The Biden administration signaled its intention to continue the COVID-19 emergency declaration through the end of the calendar year, thus extending the conditions leading to the unprecedented growth in Medicaid coverage.