Gov. Jay Nixon's plan to expand Medicaid health care coverage in Missouri has encountered a new wrinkle of opposition from some lawmakers.
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee raised concerns Monday that the Medicaid expansion could hurt the state's credit rating.
Missouri currently enjoys a triple-A rating. But Moody's Investors Service last week assigned a negative outlook to Missouri because of its link to the federal government. One of the reasons cited by Moody's was the proportion of the state budget that comes from the federally and state-funded Medicaid program.
If Missouri expands Medicaid eligibility, it would get billions of dollars more from the federal government in coming years. Some senators are questioning whether a greater connection to the federal government could hurt Missouri's credit.
