This Week’s Guest Column from Senator Will Kraus: Senate Advances FY 2017 Budget

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One of the most important tasks for the Legislature is to pass an on-time and balanced budget that Missouri taxpayers can afford. Over the last few years, the Senate Appropriations Committee has worked to make the budget more transparent so that it accurately reflects the amounts departments will need and use.

This year’s $27.1 billion operating budget will fund necessary services that are critical to our state. The budget is initially developed and passed by the House of Representatives, before moving to the Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee evaluates the spending of every state department. In most departments, costs are increasing at reasonable and sustainable rates. However, year after year, social services continue to see astronomical growth, increasing 26 percent this year alone. Medicaid spending is consuming every single dollar of General Revenue growth for the year. For Fiscal Year 2017, the Senate and Department of Health and Senior Services worked together to make Medicaid spending more efficient and curb the unsustainable growth in this portion of the state’s budget.

We also made some changes to House Bill 11 that will increase funding for women’s health care services. Rural populations tend to have fewer doctors and health care professionals in the area. By increasing funding to certain health care facilities, we can ensure the safety and well-being of women living in rural areas. The Senate plans to distribute $10 million to Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics, local public health clinics and private providers to provide women with greater access to more comprehensive health care (e.g., mammograms and prenatal care) from qualified doctors and nurses.

Other highlights of the budget include a $71 million increase to K-12 public education and an $18.5 million increase for all scholarship programs, including Bright Flight, Access Missouri and A+. The Senate also increased funding to the Show-Me ECHO program by $3.4 million. The program is a cost-effective, knowledge-sharing network that helps lead to better health outcomes for patients and can fundamentally change people’s lives. It expands patient access to close-to-home, best-practice specialty care, which is especially beneficial to rural communities. Last year, the Legislature spent $1.5 million to launch the program. The projected net savings for the first year of the pilot program is $6 million. Since the program’s inception, the University of Missouri has begun six more ECHO’s. This increase will help establish more ECHO’s, bringing better-care practices to all corners of the Show-Me State.

We have worked diligently this session to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality services for all Missourians. The state Fiscal Year 2017 begins July 1, 2016. Lawmakers have until May 6, 2016, to get the budget bills to the governor, a deadline set by the Missouri Constitution. The House and Senate will next meet in conference to make final changes before sending the budget to the governor for his approval.