Deborah Van Fleet

Missourians forced to live in an institution because of a disability who could succeed in the community may be eligible to file legal claims of discrimination. This is based on the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead decision, which declared it a form of discrimination to segregate people who could be served in community-based settings.

UnitedHealthcare's 2023 Senior Report ranks Missouri 40th out of the 50 states for the well-being of its older residents. Weaknesses include a relatively high percentage of older Missourians facing food insecurity and too few getting regular exercise. One high point is the percentage of seniors involved in volunteering.

Data in the Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2023 Kids Count report supports the reality of a child-care crisis in Missouri, and three southern Missouri child-care experts share their perspectives.

One of the groups helping Missourians living with a disability navigate the world by advocating for themselves is People First of Missouri. The organization is run by and for individuals with disabilities, of which there are nearly 1.5 million in the state.

Extreme temperatures have been linked to a higher incidence of cardiovascular-related deaths. With high heat days just around the corner, the American Heart Association stresses this is especially true for people with pre-existing heart conditions. Other heat-related illnesses can affect anyone, from sunburn to a potentially fatal heat stroke.

Missouri's 2023 legislative session resulted in massive funding to raise child-care subsidies and fund Pre-K programs, surprising some advocates with the amounts. However, with a great deal of funding from remaining American Relief Program Act funds, some question what will happen when the money runs out in 2024.

The 2023 Missouri Legislature passed bills that will help struggling Missouri families, including extending Medicaid postpartum care for mothers and babies from 60 days to 12 months, adding a "step-down" process for losing SNAP and TANF benefits, and help with the cost of child care.

Getting too little sleep is increases both the risk of accidents and of developing, or worsening, chronic health conditions. In a 2020 CDC survey, around 36% of Missourians reported getting less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep at night.

A huge number of Missourians are expected to lose their Medicaid benefits over the next year. Now that the public health emergency has officially ended, the Department of Social Services is reevaluating every individual who receives Medicaid for income eligibility. The process was put on hold during the pandemic when states weren't allowed to disenroll anyone.