June 2025 DSS Benefit Report Issued
The Department of Social Services recently issued the Monthly Management Report for the Family Support Division and MO Health Net Division for June 2025 – the last report for state Fiscal Year 2025. [dss.mo/re]
The numbers hold no surprises. Temporary Assistance and food stamps moved little in the past year. Medicaid {aka MO HealthNet ), as expected, officially shed around 25,000 citizens.
The cuts and new rules (especially the Work Requirement fiascos) won’t be required until after next year’s mid-term elections. I expect, alas, that Missouri – like Arkansas and several other red states – will embrace the new rules early because that’s what MAGA wants.
Remember, those in Missouri to be targeted by Work Requirements already have jobs. It’s the process of proving and verifying that work which will damn them.
Ironically, much of what we know about the problems with the requirements comes from pilot projects in red states. Basically, it takes a lot of staff time to handle even correctly submitted paperwork. And, the procedure becomes almost un-auditable because there is no law forcing employers to verify employment information! When an employer refuses to verify, or, the boss cuts hours the patient becomes the victim.
My rough guess is that 100,000 Missouri citizens will be under Work Requirements. Processing each participant’s paperwork probably will take at least one staff hour a month. (Yes but low-income people are least likely to be computer proficient and the state still uses 1970’s computer programs every day.) So, that’s 1.2 million staff hours a year, or, enough work for 650+ new hires since existing staff are already illegally behind in their work (per federal court rulings). Missouri won’t spend the money to get the job done.
Missouri June Benefits
2025 2024 2020
Temporary Assistance
Children 9,298 9,601 17,915
Parents 3,021 2,990 6,135
TOTAL 12,319 12,591 24,050
Payments $1,151,539 $1,208,340 $2,292,448
Per Family $229.80 $233.36 $239.56
Per Day $ 7.66 $ 7.78 $ 7.98
Food Stamps
Participants 660,033 655,339 773,079
Benefits $130,423,125 $129,308,572 $133,876,111
Per Person $197.60 $197.32 $173.17
Per Meal $ 2.20 $ 2.19 $ 1.92
Medicaid
Enrolled 1,242,2836 1,267,482 939,919
Covered 1,286,669 1,361,848 928,501
Cost $1,085,289,797 $1,242,905,489 $745,113,867
Per Patient $843.48 $912.66 $802.49
Managed Care $385.96 $368.68 $278.36
Medicaid: Chart 20 Summary
Patients 1,266,271 1,291,669
Why do the Chart 20 numbers differ so much from Chart 23 when they ought to be summarizing the same data? It’s The Missouri Way. All numbers are inconsistent yet claimed to be correct.
In light of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in a couple of years I expect dramatic cuts to the number of citizens helped – probably 25% or more! On food stamps [SNAP], for example, the state will probably be on the hook for a quarter of the benefit costs. That would have been around $32.6 million this June. Plus, more admin cost. To reduce Missouri’s cost you have to – by hook or crook – reduce the total number eligible. So, expect getting food stamps or Medicaid to become a career.
A Quick Question?
For her entire career in the U. S. House of Representatives Missouri’s Ann Wagner has advocated against sex trafficking and the abuse of women. Will she support Donald Trump when he pardons Miss Maxwell?
Glenn Koenen
Header image snapped from the Missouri DSS website