Nixon signs bill to expand Medicaid eligibility, curb ID theft

Gov. Jay Nixon this week signed separate bills designed to expand the number of people eligible for Medicaid in Missouri and more strictly penalize identity theft.

Missouri Medicaid
The governor yesterday signed into law House Bill 1565, which raises the asset threshold to qualify for Medicaid specifically for the elderly, blind or disabled, according to a news release.

The current asset limit under Missouri law is $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples living together. Starting in fiscal 2018, the bill will raise those levels annually by $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples until they reach fiscal 2021 limits of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for couples. Starting in fiscal 2022, a cost-of-living adjustment will be applied. The increase in limits is expected to allow 10,000 additional Missourians to become eligible for Medicaid coverage.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington, represents the first increase in asset limits in more than 40 years.

“This will help thousands of Missourians live more independent lives,” Nixon said in the release. “These are folks who just want a chance to be responsible and save for the future, but a law written more than 40 years ago wouldn’t let them. Today, we’re doing something about that.”

ID theft
Senate Bill 624, signed June 6 by Nixon, penalizes those who knowingly possess fraudulently obtained credit or debit cards.

Currently, the law does not allow charges to be brought against individual who possess stolen identification information unless evidence is brought forward showing the cards have been used, according to a news release.

“By criminalizing the possession of stolen credit card information, this bill will provide law enforcement with another tool to hold hackers and identity thieves accountable,” Nixon said in the release.

The change would allow stolen credit or debit cards to be classified as a Class A misdemeanor.

Taking effect Jan. 1., the bill sponsored by Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, also makes stealing from a financial institution a Class D felony regardless of whether force is used, according to the release.