(WSIL) -- Missouri became the 38th state to expand Medicaid coverage following a tight race Tuesday night.
It would cover roughly 230,000 Missourians, ages 19 to 64, who make less than $18,000 a year. The vote ends a decade-long battle to expand Medicaid.
"The sun is shining a little bit brighter in Missouri than it has for a while," said Jen Bernsdale, executive director of Missouri Healthcare For All.
The $2 billion plan would require the state to contribute $200 million while the federal government pays the rest.
State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick was against the measure, saying it would force lawmakers to take money away from other programs and that the expansion would "make the job of balancing the budget... more difficult."
"It could hurt education, it could hurt our ability to fund our pension obligations or it could hurt our ability to fund law enforcement or our corrections system," Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick added that the amendment would keep lawmakers from executing work requirements for coverage and lead to rising Medicaid costs.
"That's a scary proposition if Missourians are going to be on the hook and the federal government decides to change the match rates later on down the road," Fitzpatrick said.
from Washington University in St. Louis suggests the expansion could save the state about $1 billion a year.
Bersdale says it's a move that's beneficial to the state and its residents, amid an ongoing pandemic.
"This is going to be a huge boost for people who are just trying to make ends meet and have had to choose between going to the doctor to get something checked out and putting food on the table," Bersdale said. "It's a choice that nobody should have to make.
53% of Missourians voted to pass the expansion. Lawmakers have until March to create a plan that would implement the program that's set to go into effect July 1, 2021.
