Missouri September 2022 Benefit Report
(And A Few Words On Perception Against Reality)
Well, another month and another depressing report from Missouri’s benefit programs…
The Monthly Management Report from the Missouri Department of Social Services for the Family Support Division and MO HealthNet Division for September 2022 was issued this week. [www.dss.mo/re ]
- Despite signs of an economy staggered by inflation, the number Temporary Assistance beneficiaries dropped in September.
- The number of food stamp recipients nudged lower in September.
- MO HealthNet [Medicaid] continues to avoid adding tens of thousands of eligible citizens to the number covered.
Oh, the drops in TA and SNAP are minor – 108 people in assistance and 376 stampers – yet they demonstrate, again, how the Department of Social Services is not responding to the needs of struggling families during a time of increasing economic challenges.
Remember how the state had to work extra hard (for state employees) to get the processing time on Medicaid applications within federal limits by 9/30/22? There actually wasn’t that much work involved.
You see, from the end of September 2021 till September 30, 2022 Missouri only added 241,116 people to the MO HealthNet rolls, with just 29,409 put on from the end of this August to the end of September. . And, 63,041 of those now in the expansion group appear to be transfers from the Pregnant Women and Women’s Health Services subcategories: the net gain for the year is just 178,075.
Simply put, clearing the backlog meant a bit more work on about 60,000 files, or, about 5% of the caseload. Since normal review should impact about 12% to 15% of the load every month, well, getting caught-up wasn’t that heavy a lift.
With Medicaid Expansion, covering mostly working adults, estimates were that 275,000+ would quickly join the roils. Again, months into accepting applications just 178,000 have been enrolled. State bureaucrats will claim people aren’t applying. Reports of long waits calling the Call Centers, a complicated application process and other camouflaged impediments continue to keep citizens from getting the medical coverage voters want them to have.
September Missouri Benefits
2022 2017
Temporary Assistance
Children 10,826 21,431
Parents 3,088 6,888
Total 13,914 28,319
Payments $1,353,733 $2,718,763
Per Family $ 228.44 $ 225.96
Per Day $ 7.61 $ 7.53
Food Stamps (SNAP)
Participants 670,276 758,634
Benefits $111,349,389 $92,444,698
Per Person $ 166.12 $ 122.18
Per Meal $ 1.85 $ 1.36
MO HealthNet (Medicaid)
Enrolled 1,387,702 980,912
Covered 1,384,838 1,069,616
Cost $1,061,351,518 $840,485,100
Per Person $ 766.41 $ 785.86
Managed Care 1,082,596 834,941
Premium Each $ 325.51 $ 219.37
A Few Words On Perception Against Reality
On a local talk show one of the panelists defended Spire’s 10%+ rate increase, noting that low-income families can just go and get assistance with their bill.
That’s a prevalent opinion among upper middle class suburbanites. Too bad it’s wrong…
- Two of three families seeking utility assistance never get any.
- The maximum government grant is $1,600 per heating season – when available and after a major application process. (Last year the state didn’t even accept applications till February.) Most don’t get the maximum grant.
- Very few charities give utility assistance. When they do, the help is limited and usually “last dollar” meaning the family must find the rest of the minimum payment before getting charity help.
- Many families skip on buying groceries and/or medicine to make their utility payments.
Those unpaid bills don’t disappear. In good weather the utility may get cut-off. When the family moves they may have to pay a deposit to get service.
And, feel free to inquire of the region’s utilities about how many accounts they have which are behind on their bills. The numbers are huge, with much of that debt simply written off – and largely subsidized by those who do pay their bills.
Yes, Spire wants more money and they’ll probably get it. That increase will increase the number of families behind on bills or who will lose safe, reliable heat.
Glenn Koenen