Leaders in Mississippi's legislature remains at loggerheads over a plan to extend postpartum Medicaid benefits.
This year, Senate Bill 2033 would have allowed new mothers to receive Medicaid up to twelve months after giving birth.
House Speaker Philip Gunn allowed the bill to die on the calendar. Gunn says he's opposed to any enlargement of the Medicaid system in the state. He also claims he's seen no evidence that postpartum Medicaid extension improves outcomes for mothers or babies.
A bipartisan majority of Senators support the plan, however. So does Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann. And Hosemann says he's ready to use one of multiple workarounds to bring the bill back to life before the end of the legislative session.