Cole County judge blocks changes in Medicaid payments to Missouri hospitals

A Cole County judge has temporarily blocked the state’s new policy for Medicaid hospital payments which was set to take effect Thursday and ordered a hearing July 9 to determine if the order will become permanent.

In response to a lawsuit filed by the Missouri Hospital Association, Circuit Judge Cotton Walker on Friday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the new policy. The hospitals argued that they faced potential losses of $45 million from the policy and that it was being put in place illegally.

In his order, Walker wrote that it appeared likely the association would prevail and that unraveling the policy after it takes effect will be more damaging than imposing the delay.

“It would be far worse to have this policy change go into effect for a few months, only to be struck down if and when the court decides the policy was void from the outset,” Walker wrote.

Read more: https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/cole-county-judge-blocks-changes-in-medicaid-payments-to-missouri-hospitals/