Millions of Americans essentially live their lives as walking corpses. This isn’t the premise of AMC’s latest apocalyptic drama or a summer blockbuster movie. It’s the harsh reality for too many individuals and communities. They lack health insurance and, as a result, go undiagnosed. Untreated disease manifests as a silent killer.
The harsh reality is that in the wealthiest countries on earth, access to primary health care remains a privilege of the wealthy few, rather than a fundamental right for all.Recent ResearchWhile there is evidence that the uninsured rate for minorities has dropped sharply, it is still not enough. According to a Yale University study,68,000 Americans die due to lack of health insuranceIt’s big enough to fill Madison Square Garden three times over.
Nowhere is the phenomenon of the living dead more prevalent than in my home state of Mississippi.The country has the highest preventable death rate.Mississippi remains It is one of 10 states in our country. States have failed to expand Medicaid nearly 15 years after the Affordable Care Act was passed.
As President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ) and a breast cancer survivor who missed treatment for three years because she lacked health insurance, I know all too well the devastating impact of our state’s refusal to expand Medicaid and have watched too many Mississippians join the living dead.
The consequences of this policy failure are dire and far-reaching. The closer one examines the statistics, the more dire they become. Mississippi has one of the poorest health outcomes in the nation. Infant mortality rate, obesity and Other major diseasesThese results are not just numbers, but represent the real experiences of people – parents, children, neighbors, friends – whose lives could be significantly improved with better access to and proper treatment.
Millions of people have no health insurance at all, meaning early diagnosis and treatment that could prevent many diseases from progressing are out of reach for many Mississippians and Americans, hitting already marginalized people hardest.
After years of advocacy by MCJ and other groups, some lawmakers are finally brave enough to take on this epidemic of the living dead head on. During this year’s Mississippi legislative session, the House and Senate passed First serious attempt to expand Medicaid coverageAccording to KFF, if this law goes into effect, an estimated 123,000 Mississippians People who fall into the Medicaid exclusion category because they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to qualify for subsidies to help pay for private insurance.
While the final collapse was tragic, there is hope and a recognition that we are closer than ever to achieving this important victory for Mississippians.
The phenomenon of the living dead extends beyond my home state. Mississippi is particularly affected, but it serves as a poignant illustration of a larger issue: the shockingly high rates of health inequity across the country. America’s Health RankingsMississippi ranks near the bottom, 43rd out of the 50 states, for the general population, but the situation is even more dire for people under the age of 34.
This is mainly seen in the south, Of the roughly 2 million Americans who are exempt from Medicaid, 97%Failing to expand Medicaid is not just a political stance — it’s a death sentence for many. Chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease will go undetected and untreated, costing lives.
This is primarily due to lack of access to health care. To close this gap, it is essential to implement comprehensive policies that expand Medicaid coverage to those not covered by Medicare and remove systemic barriers to equitable access to health care.
Mississippi’s health care crisis is not just a state problem, it’s a national embarrassment. This crisis highlights the urgent need for Medicaid expansion and comprehensive health care reform to ensure that no one suffers or dies from preventable diseases.
By taking bold and compassionate action, we can transform the lives of the living dead and build a healthier future for all Americans. To end this, lawmakers in Mississippi and across the country must put people over politics and implement badly needed policies, like expanding Medicaid and expanding access to health care, to meet the urgency this crisis demands.
Ultimately, this effort needs to involve more than politicians. People of all races, genders, socioeconomic statuses, and more must come together to hold them accountable for their failures, because for too many of the living dead, tomorrow is not promised.
Vangela M. WadeMississippi Judicial Centeris a nonprofit public interest law firm committed to advancing racial and economic justice.
