Blunt signs MO HealthNet bill to replace Medicaid

Blunt signed the bill today at Jiffy Lube, 1248 E. Battlefield Road.

Under Senate Bill 577, sponsored by state Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, MO HealthNet promotes prevention and wellness by setting up health care homes for its enrollees. Physicians at these health care homes – located at existing facilities – would be a central point of contact for patients to provide personal attention and help people create a personalized long-term health plan.

The goal is help enrollees catch health issues early and prevent illnesses, according to a Blunt news release.

The program also expands health care to working people with disabilities and foster children until they are 21 years old.

Blunt chose to sign the bill at Jiffy Lube because the company’s database provides detailed customer information – much like the patient information that would be available through electronic health records and the CyberAccess program that Blunt is pushing for under MO HealthNet. Blunt has secured $25 million for a Healthcare Technology Fund.

CoxHealth already has electronic records, and St. John’s Health System will implement them in the next 22 months, according to the release.