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Blackwell said he intends to redact key language within the House’s version, which was written by House Speaker Jason White and House Medicaid Chair Rep. Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, that would expand Medicaid within the state if the federal government rejects a 20-hour per week work requirement waiver. Since President Joseph Biden became president in 2021, […]

A majority of Mississippi’s Republican primary voters support expanding Medicaid coverage to the working poor, according to a recent poll commissioned by the American Cancer Society.  The poll, conducted on February 19-20 by private polling firm Cygnal, surveyed 600 people and showed that 55% of likely GOP primary voters in the Magnolia State support Medicaid […]

Forty states have opted into Medicaid expansion, where the federal government will pay 90% of the costs to cover primarily the working poor. But if the Legislature adopted Chaney’s plan where only those earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level are covered through Medicaid, the federal government would pay only its normal matching […]

“Our plan is to let our bill die on the calendar and then we’ll take up the House Bill,” said District 19 Senator Kevin Blackwell, who also serves as Chairman of the Medicaid Committee. “I think you’ll see our bill be a lot more conservative than what the House put out,” Blackwell said the Senate […]

The Republican-controlled Senate will delay voting on a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to the working poor this week while it works to build support among members for its own version of an expansion plan.  Senate Medicaid Committee Chairman Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, on Tuesday said that he will let a Senate bill to expand Medicaid […]

Thursday was another deadline day for Mississippi lawmakers. Medicaid expansion was once again on the line, following some updates in the Mississippi Senate. Senators gave somewhat of an update on their Medicaid expansion plans in a roundabout way. They opted to let their own Medicaid expansion bill die on the calendar on Thursday. They will now move […]

Will state lawmakers pass legislation to expand Medicaid? In February, the House passed its version of a Medicaid expansion bill. That legislation now resides in the Senate. Initially, the legislators in that chamber wanted to craft its version of a Medicaid expansion bill. Now, that won’t be happening. “Our plan is to let our bill […]

In Mississippi, the poorest state in the nation, Republican lawmakers have loosened their decadelong resistance to expanding Medicaid and making health insurance available to roughly 200,000 of the state’s low-income residents. But some Republican leaders have said they will not approve a bill without a work requirement, a provision critics say could still leave the most […]

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves summoned a group of state senators to the Governor’s Mansion in early March and privately told them he will veto any Medicaid expansion bill lawmakers pass, two senators told Mississippi Today. Reeves invited the group of about 15 senators to the Governor’s Mansion to socialize with him — a common occurrence […]

Facing a Thursday deadline for passage, the state Senate leadership has refused to detail its Medicaid expansion plan, leaving members in the dark and health experts worried the plan could ultimately include elements that are unfeasible, costly and counterproductive. Two-and-a-half months into the legislative session, and after 10 years of debate, Senate Medicaid Chairman Kevin Blackwell […]

The Mississippi Manufacturers Association voiced support for the House Medicaid expansion plan, which would make Mississippi the 41st state to expand Medicaid to cover the working poor, in a social media post. The group cited new economic development projects this year as a reason to expand Medicaid coverage in the state with the lowest workforce participation rate. “In late Feb., Jason […]

Jonathan Tate Reeves, you are by all accounts a gentleman and a scholar. You are a graduate of Millsaps College, which prepares you to be both. You’re from high-quality people. I know you consider yourself a Christian. I attended Jackson’s Galloway United Methodist Church with you in the early-to-mid 2000s. You contributed in myriad ways […]

New polling of likely Republican primary voters in Mississippi suggests that many of them support Medicaid expansion. According to an American Cancer Society and Cygnal poll, more than half of Mississippi Republican voters polled support Medicaid expansion for those earning up to 138% of the federal poverty limit. The polling showed 55% of voters support Medicaid […]

”This has been a tremendous leap for Mississippi,” said Sylvia-Nicole Cecchi, who’s the Project Coordinator for Care4Mississippi. “We’re just excited to see that our legislators are finally bridging the gap between public opinion and public policy.” The group has been advocating for legislation to be passed on this issue. ”Closing the coverage gap is extremely important for […]

Medicaid expansion, which for more than a decade has been blocked by legislative leaders, passed the House Wednesday 98-20 in less than 15 minutes and now advances to the Senate. House Medicaid Chair Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, explained the policy as a “moral imperative” and said it “should transcend politics.” She also said that lawmakers have […]

The calls for Medicaid expansion are growing louder. Thursday, the group “Care 4 Mississippi” gathered at the courthouse, pleading for your lawmakers to pass legislation on this issue. One of the people speaking at the podium was Lakeisha Preston, who lives in Lawrence County. “I am a single mother of a beautiful seven-year-old boy,” she […]

Mississippi’s new House speaker, Jason White, a Republican, has said he wants to protect hospitals and keep residents from seeking regular care through the emergency room. More than 120,000 uninsured people in Mississippi would become newly eligible for Medicaid under expansion, according to KFF data. White told KFF Health News in a written statement that […]

A Medicaid expansion bill will arrive in the Mississippi Senate by Monday, beginning a process that could provide health care to about 230,000 working Mississippians, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says. The Republican senate leader shared plans to introduce a bill before Monday’s legislative deadline for introducing new legislation in an interview with Mississippi Today reporter Sophia […]

The first legislative deadline of the 2024 session has come and gone. Thousands of bills have been filed, giving us a glimpse as to what the rest of the session may be focused on. So far, there has been a huge emphasis on healthcare, specifically from House Democrats. They’re taking another swipe at expanding Medicaid […]

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Thursday the Senate will have a bill by Monday’s deadline to expand Mississippi Medicaid to cover the working poor. Hosemann said the bill will likely contain a work requirement and cover roughly 230,000 adults who make too much to currently be eligible for Medicaid, but too little to afford private […]

A time-honored political adage is that “elections have consequences.” Tate Reeves was reelected governor in 2023 as a long-time opponent of Medicaid expansion. Hence, the consequence is that there is no likelihood that Medicaid will be expanded to provide health care coverage for primarily the working poor — an estimated 200,000 Mississippians. Even with two-thirds […]

Speaker Jason White on Friday appointed new people to lead the two House committees with jurisdiction over health policy, signaling a desire to shift the focus of health care debate in a state plagued by dire health outcomes. “The selections for chairs and vice chairs directly reflect our desire and drive to elevate Mississippi,” White […]