For the Missouri Hospital Association, the key to getting legislators on board with a push to expand Medicaid is making a pitch about the move’s economic opportunity — and the practical consequences of inaction.

“It isn’t the matter that ‘we should expand Medicaid because it’s the right thing to do, although that is certainly still a strong argument,’” said MHA spokesman Dave Dillion. “Not only could we accomplish that, but we could create an economic engine by doing that.”