Leading Mississippi lawmakers began negotiations Tuesday on what could be a landmark plan to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of people in one of the nation’s poorest states.
But even though Republicans control both the state House and the Senate, it is by no means clear whether they will reach a compromise by the final days of the four-month session, which is scheduled to end in early May.
Mississippi is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid coverage to people in low-wage jobs that do not offer private health insurance. The expansion is an option based on an overhaul of the federal health care system signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010.
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Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has long said he opposes letting more people into government programs.
Expansion will be debated in earnest this year for the first time in the Mississippi State Capitol, after new Republican House Speaker Jason White has said it is one of his priorities.
In late February, the House of Representatives voted by a wide bipartisan margin to expand Medicaid coverage to about 200,000 people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $20,120 a year per person. Mississippi has about 3 million residents, and its Medicaid program covered 374,823 people in March.
Mississippi House of Representatives Medicaid Committee Chairwoman Missy McGee discusses the cost of Medicaid expansion during a Public Legislative Conference Committee meeting at the State Capitol on April 23, 2024 in Jackson, Mississippi. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
In late March, the Senate passed its own simplified version extending eligibility to people with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level (just over $15,000 per person). Senate Medicaid Committee Chairman Kevin Blackwell, R-South Haven, said he expects about 80,000 people will be eligible for coverage, but only about half that number will enroll.
House Medicaid Committee Chairwoman Missy McGee, a Hattiesburg Republican, offered a compromise Tuesday. This would allow Mississippi to receive all available federal funding for Medicaid expansion. People with incomes up to 100% of the federal poverty level are eligible for Medicaid, while people with incomes between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty level receive subsidies to purchase insurance through the federal health insurance exchanges. will receive.
Senators offered no new proposals Tuesday and did not immediately respond to the proposal from the House. Blackwell said it was important that both chambers were talking about expansion, but cautioned against acting too hastily.
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“I think in the case of the House of Representatives, you all want to jump in your sports car and zoom into expansion. Let’s just go there and ignore the obstacles,” Blackwell said. “We as senators would like to take a slightly slower approach to it.”
Maggie replied: “We don’t feel like we’ve been in the Ferrari for long. I think we’ve been waiting 10 years. … For the sake of low-income, hard-working Mississippians, we don’t need to postpone it any longer. ”. ”
Mississippi lawmakers typically meet behind closed doors to negotiate final versions of bills, but this year they agreed to hold a public meeting on Medicaid expansion. Tuesday’s meeting ended up being standing room only, with some spectators arriving hours early.
