MO Senate Still Debating Federal Medicaid Reimbursements Ahead Of 2025 Budget

As the Missouri Senate starts work on the Fiscal Year 2025 state operating budget, questions remain over Senate Bill 748, which relates to federal Medicaid reimbursements to Missouri hospitals.

Senator Lincoln Hough of Springfield chairs the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee.

He says the focus needs to stay on Senate Bill 748, which he sponsors…

“I think the last year that we did it, we put a three year sunset on it. We ended up having to do that during a special session. Like I said, it makes up about 1/3 of our Medicaid budget, and we have to get it done.”

Senate Bill 748 equals $4.5 billion in federal reimbursements to hospitals.

Missouri Senate Minority Floor Leader John Rizzo of Independence says the $4.5 billion connected to the FRA remains the unknown…

“Well just get it out and deal with it later….well, that’s really kinda not really the process, right? So, assuming the affralire past, if you change it…you’ll have to change it on the floor with the committee sub, which circumvents the entire committee process.”

By law, the budget has to be delivered to the executive branch no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, May 10.

Fiscal Year 2025 will start on July 1.