MM Curator summary
Mississippi not expected to take the new COVID relief bill expansion incentives.
The article below has been highlighted and summarized by our research team. It is provided here for member convenience as part of our Curator service.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Mississippi is one of 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid.
But some new federal incentives are leading to renewed chatter at the State Capitol.
Around 300,000 Mississippians fall into a coverage gap.
Those people currently make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance.
The federal government is now offering an incentive to the states that haven’t expanded Medicaid coverage.
They’ll chip in an added five percent for folks already on the Medicaid rolls. Lawmakers are now saying that added money will make a difference.
“We’re having discussions. We’re having more discussions now than we’ve had before and it’s hard to not talk about it when you consider the federal government would give you a five percent bump to your existing Medicaid fund,” said Rep. Robert L. Johnson. “Which essentially would make us like 100 percent funded by the federal government.”
“It’s still from a Republican policy point of view, it is not something that’s very popular,” said Rep. Donnie Scoggin. “However, I am a nurse practitioner and as a nurse practitioner, Medicaid expansion I think would benefit the state tremendously.”
Governor Tate Reeves says his position has not changed; he is not interested in any form of expansion.
Clipped from: https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/03/25/medicaid-not-expected-expand-mississippi/