Healthcare advocates think the coronavirus pandemic may encourage Mississippi's Republican majority led legislature to expand Medicaid. Roy Mitchell is with Mississippi Health Advocacy Program. He says they're working with seven other states that haven't expanded Medicaid, including Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee, to promote the issue.
"We've seen other states, in fact, deeply conservative states like Oklahoma and Missouri expand Medicaid despite years of opposition. With Covid 19 cases rising, and Mississippi suffering some of the worst death rates, the stabilization of out healthcare system is paramount to us," said Mitchell.
The alliance is called Southerners for Medicaid Expansion Coalition. In Mississippi, Mitchell says more than 180,000 people would be eligible for Medicaid, if it was expanded. Republican Senator Joey Fillingane of Sumrall, is on the Medicaid committee. He concerned about costs saying for every one dollar the state pays to fund Medicaid, the federal government provides $3.
"So it is more heavily weighted from the federal end, but there's still that dollar match that Mississippi has to come up with to fund this program," said Fillingane.
Democrat John Hines of Greenville, is on the House Medicaid Committee. He says lawmakers are beginning to talk about the issue across party lines.
"We are woefully, inadequately prepared to handle situations like what we're in right now. And once people accept that, I think the opportunity for expanding Medicaid comes," said Hines.
More than 750,000 Mississippians receive Medicaid benefits.
