Missouri voters will decide in November whether to expand the state's Medicaid program to provide health coverage to thousands more low-income adults. Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said Friday that the initiative has received more than enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot. Missouri’s Medicaid program currently doesn't cover most adults without children and has one of the nation's lowest income eligibility thresholds for parents. The ballot proposal would expand coverage to adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, which is about $17,600 annually for an individual or $30,000 for a family of three.
The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.