3.25.26
The Situation:
Yesterday, the Missouri House passed the state budget, and the debate now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee. While we appreciate the proposed increase to Medicaid meal reimbursement rates, a dangerous catch remains: a proposed 20% statewide cut to the Senior Services Growth and Development Program (SSGDP) in HB10.
Why This Matters:
Across Missouri – from rural to urban counties – the SSGDP is the literal backbone of senior care. It doesn’t just buy the food; it funds the infrastructure that makes delivery possible—the kitchens, the delivery vans, and the essential staff at our senior centers.
The Bottom Line
What good is paying more for the cost of a meal if there is no kitchen or senior center to cook it in and no driver to deliver it across miles of rural roads to seniors in 115 counties.
The Medicaid Debt Bomb:
Cutting services that support older Missourians is a fiscal mistake. If senior centers close and meal routes are cut, our aging neighbors will be forced into expensive nursing homes, where taxpayers ultimately foot a much larger bill.
Contact the Senate Appropriations Committee:
We need all Missouri Senators to hear from you, but especially those on the Appropriations Committee. Urge them to Protect Missouri Seniors – Maintain full SSGDP funding.
Reach out the the Senate Appropriations Committee Now!
Senate Appropriations Committee Members
- Senator Rusty Black *Chair | Rusty.Black@senate.mo.gov| (573) 751-1415
- Senator Jason Bean | Jason.Bean@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-4843
- Senator Justin Brown | Justin.Brown@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-5713
- Senator Sandy Crawford | Sandy.Crawford@senate.mo.gov |(573) 751-8793
- Senator Travis Fitzwater | Travis.Fitzwater@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-2757
- Senator Mike Henderson | Mike.Henderson@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-4008
- Senator Brad Hudson | Brad.Hudson@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-1882
- Senator Karla May | Karla.May@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-3599
- Senator Maggie Nurrenbern | Maggie.Nurrenbern@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-5282
- Senator Barbara Washington | Barbara.Washington@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-3158
- Senator Brian Williams | Brian.Williams@senate.mo.gov | (573) 751-4106
Sample Messaging:
Dear Senator:
- Oppose the 20% cut to the Senior Services Growth and Development Program (SSGDP) in House Bill 10.
- Protect the infrastructure: Without kitchens and vans, increased meal reimbursement rates cannot reach the seniors who need them.
- Prevent the “Debt Bomb”: Keep seniors in their homes to preserve their dignity and to save taxpayer dollars!
Thank you!