Our Legislature delayed funding for the computer system that processes applications for coverage with the result of a large backlog in applications. To be \u201cmore efficient,\u201d our state social services department closed processing centers where clients could meet with counselors. The result has been that clients wait to get called back from counselors and sometimes give up entirely. Our Legislature has a responsibility, a responsibility to fix the system and at the same time provide insurance for Ms. Garrett and the others who are pushed aside while our legislators delay taking action.<\/p>\n

[This post originally appeared as a letter to the editor in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, on May 12, 2015. It is reprinted with the author’s permission.]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch correctly identifies problems with the Missouri Medicaid program (\u201cMedicaid missteps,\u201d May 10). But citing the system as \u201cbroken\u201d as a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":636,"featured_media":30240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071,119,202,1815,1253],"tags":[1168,120,887,1533],"yoast_head":"\n