Growing Concerns Over Mississippi Medicaid Rolls

Richard Roberson with the dept. of Medicaid speaks to a group at this month's Stennis Press luncheon

About 600 thousand Mississippians depend on Medicaid health coverage. Another 20 thousand residents unexpectedly signed on to the program in March. MPB's Lawayne Childrey reports how that has some officials concerned.

For the past several years Medicaid, health care for the poor, has been a major concern for lawmakers and agency officials in Mississippi. Richard Roberson is with the department of Medicaid.

“We’ve entered the last four years knowing that there was a shortfall in the program. We’ve been able to overcome that because of some very unique circumstances with additional Katrina money for a couple of years. An increase in the federal match rate under the stimulus program for this past year. We don’t have any other expectations on the horizon should there be a short fall. Hopefully there won’t be.”

But with an unexpected increase of 20 thousand new Medicaid enrollee's, Roberson says there could be problems ahead.

“You know we continue to track the numbers. Just like the spike of of additional beneficiaries for the month of March was unexpected, as we continue to watch what happens with the economy we may see additional spikes that may throw the projections out of whack to some extent but as of right now we are not expecting a budget shortfall.”

During this summer’s second special lawmakers approved a bill to solve the Medicaid funding issue by taxing hospitals 60 million dollars a year. That tax will gradually increase to 90 million as federal stimulus money disappears. But according to Senator David Blount of Jackson lawmakers are keeping a watchful eye.

“Everything that we have been told from the division of Medicaid, from the governor’s office is that that hospital assessment will help us maintain the program long term. That’s what we hope will happen and we’ll just need to watch it closely because as we all know health care cost are going up. The other big factor of course is what may come out of Washington DC with health care legislation up there and of course no one knows what will happen with that.”

While officials believe Mississippi's Medicaid program is well positioned. Roberson believes any unfunded mandates by the federal government could put Mississippi's Medicaid program in Jeopardy. For MPB News, I'm Lawayne Childrey.