Bill > HJR106

This Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the Missouri Constitution concerning health care, which will be presented to voters for approval. If passed, it will add four new sections to Article XIV, aiming to guarantee health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions and extend dependent child coverage until age twenty-six, regardless of whether the plan covers dental or vision benefits. It also clarifies that medical assistance provided through Medicaid, also known as MO HealthNet, will be subject to appropriations made by the state's General Assembly, meaning no constitutional rights to such assistance will exist without these specific funding allocations. Furthermore, the amendment introduces work and community engagement requirements for Medicaid recipients between the ages of nineteen and sixty-four, requiring them to participate in at least eighty hours per month of activities like employment, education, job training, community service, or substance abuse treatment, with specific exemptions for individuals who are medically frail, pregnant, caring for young children, former foster youth, primary caregivers of dependents, or already meeting work requirements for other assistance programs. The Department of Social Services will be empowered to grant further exemptions for good cause, such as disability-related issues, family emergencies, or challenging local economic conditions, and must provide reasonable accommodations for participants with disabilities to ensure equal opportunity to comply with these requirements.