The Missouri Health Insurance Innovation Task Force, created by Executive Order 19-03 issued by Governor Michael L. Parson, submitted its final report on January 31, 2020. Chaired by Chlora Lindley-Myers, Director of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Task Force included stakeholders representing insurers, health care providers, consumers, and members of the Missouri General Assembly.

The Task Force was charged with identifying innovative concepts to “improve access to affordable insurance options and access to health care services within the state while reducing the state’s uninsured rates, with a particular emphasis on increasing access to health care in rural areas of the state.”  Any proposals from the Task Force were to be made within the parameters laid out in Section 1332 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) (42 U.S.C Section 18052), which defines a mechanism for states to seek waivers of certain provisions of the ACA to improve market performance in a way that better reflects local conditions and needs.

Through fourteen (14) public meetings, starting August 8, 2019 and continuing through January 30, 2020, the Task Force members discussed Missouri’s unique challenges and considered a wide variety of concepts to address them. The final report is a culmination of those efforts and reflects the Task Force’s final recommendation to Governor Parson.

“I want to thank the members of the Task Force for the many, many hours of work they invested in exploring possible solutions for the state’s uninsured citizens,” said Task Force Chair Chlora Lindley-Myers. “Although we may not always agree on the solution to the problem, we were all wholeheartedly in agreement that we needed to do our best for the people of Missouri.”

The full report can be accessed at: https://healthinsurancetaskforce.mo.gov/