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Healthcare in Missouri

Missouri's healthcare system is anchored by two major metropolitan areas, St. Louis and Kansas City, which house the state's premier medical institutions. Barnes-Jewish Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis is consistently ranked among the top 10 hospitals nationally, with world-class programs in cancer, cardiology, and transplantation. Kansas City's medical corridor includes Saint Luke's Health System and the University of Kansas Hospital just across the state line. With approximately 16,800 active physicians and a per capita rate of 273 per 100,000, Missouri has adequate physician supply in its urban centers but significant shortages in the Ozarks, the Bootheel, and rural northern counties. The state has four medical schools, including Washington University School of Medicine, one of the most selective in the country. Missouri's central location makes St. Louis and Kansas City referral centers for patients across multiple surrounding states. The state expanded Medicaid in 2021 after voter approval, extending coverage to approximately 275,000 residents. Columbia, Springfield, and Joplin serve as regional healthcare hubs for their surrounding areas. The opioid crisis and methamphetamine use have significantly impacted rural Missouri, driving demand for addiction medicine and behavioral health services that remain critically undersupplied.