Health foundation gives pros, cons for expansion of Medicaid

The Missouri Foundation for Health is a “health conversion foundation,” according to Ryan Barker, the foundation’s vice president for health policy.
The foundation came about, he explained, when Blue Cross/Blue Shield changed from being a not-for-profit to a for-profit insurance company. The assets of the not-for-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield could not be converted to the for-profit company, so they were used to establish the health foundation.
Missouri Foundation for Health has $1 billion in assets and is required by law to spend 5 percent of its assets annually.
“We fund a lot of organizations, Barker said, all of them with healthcare causes such as childhood obesity, mental health and substance abuse.
The foundation board of directors decided to form the health policy group and undertake non-partisan research and education.
The foundation has conducted many town hall meetings on the Affordable Care Act since March 2010. This year it is in the midst of conducting eight Medicaid expansion town hall meetings.