Mississippi’s Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill Wednesday that would expand Medicaid benefits to hundreds of thousands of additional residents in one of the nation’s poorest states. This is a landmark shift after years of state leaders refusing to consider the policy.
Passage of the bill was greeted with applause in the House after a bipartisan vote of 98-20. It will now go to the state Senate, where its fate remains uncertain as lawmakers are expected to submit competing proposals that could serve as the basis for further negotiations.
The bill would close three of eight Mississippi State universities, but lawmakers say it is unlikely to pass.
The move follows long-standing opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Tate Reeves, to the increased health care costs allowed under the Affordable Care Act, a 2010 federal health care reform signed by then-President Barack Obama. This follows. The bill’s Republican sponsor, Rep. Missy McGee, said lawmakers have a “moral obligation” to put ideology aside to improve Mississippi’s poor health status.
“This is a topic that should go beyond politics and economics, because at its core it’s about the well-being and dignity of all Mississippians,” McGee said. “Sometimes it’s okay to do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.”
Mississippi has the highest preventable death rate in the country, and the state’s top health official said the state ranks at the bottom of virtually every health metric and at the top of every disparity measure. Hospitals are struggling to stay open. The state also has one of the lowest labor force participation rates in the nation. Expansion supporters say the policy could help improve that situation.
Rep. Missy McGee (R-Hattiesburg, right), chair of the Mississippi House Medicaid Committee, asks a representative (not visible) of the Hilltop Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. The Hilltop Institute has submitted a brief to Congress on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion in Mississippi. Commissioners, media, lobbyists and others at the State Capitol in Jackson, Michigan, Tuesday, February 20, 2024. State Rep. Clay Mansell (R-Clinton, left), a member of the committee, was among the lawmakers who attended the press conference. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Opponents of Medicaid expansion argue that the program fosters dependence on government, increases wait times for health care services and turns people away from private insurance. In social media posts before Wednesday’s vote, Reeves reiterated those criticisms and linked the bill to the goals of prominent Democrats.
“Senator McGee keeps saying over and over again that his bill is for working people,” Reeves said. “The truth is this: Her bill passed by a House committee yesterday is just Obamacare Medicaid expansion.”
The proposal would increase eligibility for Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income people. The proposal would target people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $20,120 per person per year. Mississippi has about 3 million residents, and the city’s Medicaid program covered 754,585 people in January. Mr McGee said benefits could be extended to around 200,000 people.
At Wednesday’s committee hearing, McGee touted the financial incentives for Medicaid expansion provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan. This bonus helped pass Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. In Mississippi, incentives and other cost offsets, such as increased tax revenue, would cover the cost of the program for about four years, McGee said.
House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson said he was stunned by the lopsided vote in favor of the bill. The results were reminiscent of when Mississippi voted in 2020 to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag.
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“The last time I felt this good, I cried because I changed the Mississippi flag,” Johnson said. “Today is a great day for working people in Mississippi.”
