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Health Policy Guidance & Civic Engagement
Policy Guidance by Topic
It can be confusing to understand and track changes to health-related laws and policies. It is important to stay informed though, so you can look out for possible impacts to yourself or others.
Clay County Public Health provides helpful guides and information in the tabs below for a variety of relevant topics.
Updated Fall 2025
Cuts in funding, along with changes to enrollment and eligibility requirements for the Medicaid expansion group (adults ages 18-64 with incomes at 138% of poverty level) are expected to result in enrollment losses ranging from 130,000-170,000 people in Missouri. This will impact enrollment for 7,800-10,200 people in Clay County.
While Clay County is part of the Kansas City metro, it borders rural counties (e.g., Ray, Clinton). Rural facilities rely on reimbursement from Medicaid to cover the cost of care for low-income community members. If rural facilities cut services or close due to lack of Medicaid reimbursement, Clay County emergency departments and clinics can expect spillover demand. This means longer wait times for all, regardless of insurance status. Behavioral health and labor & delivery services are expected to be impacted the most.
Keep reading about the Impact of Federal Medicaid Changes on Missouri (updated August 2025).
Also check out:
The Providing Urgent Maternal Protection (PUMP) Nursing Mothers Act protects the right to pump during the work day. This law states that employers of ALL sizes are required to provide a reasonable amount of break time and a clean, private space for lactating workers to express milk for up to one year following the birth of the employee’s child. The pumping space cannot be a bathroom. These protections apply regardless of the employee’s gender.
Health in All Policies
Health in All Policies (HiAP) helps different groups in a community work together to consider how their decisions affect people’s health. It encourages organizations like local government, schools, and businesses to keep health in mind while doing their regular work. HiAP does not require new programs or put health above other goals—it simply supports coordination around shared community priorities.
- Work Plan: Building a Healthier Clay County
- One-Pager Introduction to HiAP
- Health Impact Assessment Tool
[Coming soon] Got a project coming up that could benefit from the HiAP approach? Complete this form to connect and collaborate with Clay County Public Health.
Civic Engagement
Clay County Public Health works regularly with elected officials on the local and state levels to educate them about community needs and impacts, so they can be effective representatives that positively impact the health of their constituents. One of the ways we do this is through participation in MOCPHE (Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence).
You can get involved too! Make your voice heard by registering to vote and voting in all elections - yes, even the small ones. Also, share your perspective with legislators by attending city-hosted events, council/board meetings, or town halls. You can also call or write to legislators.
Community Advisory Council
Clay County Public Health is looking for community members to act as experts on real-life health experiences as residents of the Northland. We need your input as we develop public health resources and programs.
You don’t need any special skills, education, or professional experience. We want community members from all walks of life. Participants will be given refreshments and a gift card for their time.
Children are welcome to attend! And they are welcome to BE children. We will have some things to keep them busy, but we know that kids have wiggles and make noise, and that’s perfectly expected and okay. We don’t want caregivers of young children to feel excluded from this opportunity. Accommodations including interpretation services are available upon request, and all meetings will be held in ADA accessible locations.
Interested in the joining the Community Advisory Council? Fill out this form to get more information.