Missouri Health Care for All (MCHFA)

Background

Missouri Health Care for All (MHCFA) was formed in 2009 and was granted tax-exempt status in 2010 as a standalone nonprofit organization. The group was formed as an activist group to promote left-center health policies at the state level in Missouri. The group supports a nationwide, taxpayer-funded health-care system, positioning itself as aiming to “advance the broader movement for universal, single-payer health care in the United States.” ³

Since its founding, Missouri Health Care for All has promoted left-of-center and far-left positions on abortion access, LGBT issues, health policy, and Medicaid expansion. ^{4 5}

Absorption by Missouri Jobs with Justice

In April 2023, Missouri Health Care for All announced that its board had voted to cease operations and lay off its staff in May 2023. The group cited “multiple circumstances” including its pursuit of a merger with Missouri Jobs with Justice, the state-level affiliate of the Jobs with Justice labor-union-backed economic advocacy coalition, as the reason for the group ceasing operations. Earlier in 2023, the group’s executive director, Janée Johnson, had died suddenly after a medical emergency. ^{6 2} The group hosted a final “farewell virtual town hall” in late April 2023 before its absorption by Missouri Jobs with Justice. ⁷

MHCFA was dormant for over a year when in July 2024 Missouri Jobs with Justice announced the absorption of Missouri Health Care for All as a project under the organization’s umbrella. It noted that Missouri JwJ had worked with MHCFA for years, stating, “Over the years, MHCFA and MOJWJ have played pivotal roles in expanding Medicaid, defending the Affordable Care Act, and advocacy in the state legislature. Despite recent challenges leading to its cessation in 2023, MOJWJ recognizes the importance of preserving MHCFA’s legacy and continuing its impactful work.” ³

MHCFA’s final tax return as an independent organization noted that upon the organization’s termination, it transferred its assets, including $3,900 worth of computer equipment and $183,000 in cash, to Missouri Jobs with Justice. ³

Advocacy

Missouri Health Care for All has advocated for a variety of far-left and left-of-center health care and social-policy issues. The group opposed action by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) to restrict sex-change surgeries and treatments for minors, stating in a Facebook post that “Missouri Health Care for All condemns Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s new emergency rule proposed April 13, 2023, which greatly restricts access to gender-affirming health care for both children and adults. We stand with transgender Missourians and sustain that health care decisions should remain between patients and their doctors and families. ”⁸

The group has also supported the activities of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action, and joined nationwide efforts to preserve federal funding for Planned Parenthood. ⁴

The group also opposed state legislative efforts to raise the threshold for adopting ballot measures in Missouri. ⁹