The Politics Holding Back Medicaid Expansion in Some Southern States

Advocates for expanding Medicaid say opposition is largely being driven by political polarization, rather than cost concerns. Givens, who is also chair of the board of trustees for the Mississippi State Medical Association, which supports Medicaid expansion, said the federal government would pay for the vast majority of it and that most Mississippians support it. “Why does that not translate when it comes to policy?” Givens asked. “It’s called the stupidity of politics. Period.” Givens pointed to Arkansas as a potential model for Mississippi because the state has similar demographics and expansion has been in place there for a decade. “Look at what has worked for them and what needs to be tweaked,” he said. “For me, that’s just common sense.”