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Delta Council calls for Medicaid expansion

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Influential Delta business group calls for Medicaid expansion

A major economic organization that represents the 19 Mississippi Delta counties on Monday called for lawmakers to expand .ย 

The Delta Council, long a powerful lobby that has the ear of top Republican leaders, is among the ‘s first major, non-health care related organizations to recommend Medicaid expansion.ย Major medical groups in the state like the Mississippi Hospital Association have supported expansion for years.

The resolution was passed unanimously by Delta Council’s health and education committee. There are around 150 council members on the committee, though not all of them were in attendance.

โ€œWhile Medicaid expansion is not a complete panacea for individuals, the community’s economy, health care providers, and employers, it is a critical first step that will benefit all of them in the short and long term,โ€ the resolution reads.ย 

The resolution was presented to the committee after a special subcommittee studied different options for helping struggling health care facilities in the Delta.

โ€œAfter we talked to the experts and people in the industry, it became obvious that the best way to do that is to expand Medicaid,โ€ said Wade Litton, chairman of Delta Council’s Economic Development Committee and the leader of the subcommittee.ย 

Mississippi is one of just 12 states not to expand Medicaid despite an increased federal matching rate under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that would provide the state with an extra $600 million per year.ย 

Gov. Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, two of Mississippi’s top elected , fiercely oppose Medicaid expansion. Reeves derisively calls it โ€œObamacare expansionโ€ and has promised to never support it. Both Reeves and Gunn maintain that the state cannot afford it, despite years of legitimate research and economic studies that indicate otherwise.

At least eight expansion bills were filed during the 2022 legislative session, but none were debated or considered before dying in committee.ย 

If state leaders were to expand Medicaid, at least 225,000 Mississippians would qualify for health care coverage.

READ MORE: โ€˜It makes it hard to work’: The real cost of not expanding Medicaid in Mississippi

The Delta Council resolution repeatedly refers to the findings of a report from State Economist Corey Miller that showed expanding Medicaid would pay for itself and offer a litany of economic benefits.

According to the , Medicaid expansion would:ย 

  • Reduce the uncompensated care costs incurred by hospitals statewide. While these costs hurt each hospital’s bottom line, they have devastated small, rural hospitals Mississippi, particularly in the Delta.
  • Create nearly 11,300 a year between 2022 to 2027. Most of these jobs would be added in the health care and social assistance sector.
  • Increase the state’s gross domestic product by between $719 million and $783 million each year.
  • Increase the state’s population by about 3,300 to 11,500 new residents per year between 2022 and 2027. Mississippi was one of just three states in the U.S. to lose population between 2010 to 2020.

Expanding Medicaid would also decrease the costs incurred by small businesses across the state in paying health insurance premiums for their employees, according to Litton. High amounts of uncompensated care contribute to hospitals raising the price of care, which then leads insurers to raise premiums.ย 

The result is a negative feedback loop that ultimately harms those paying for insurance, Litton said.ย 

Litton also said that Mississippi taxpayers are already helping pay for Medicaid expansion through their federal income taxes, but aren’t seeing any of the from it.ย 

Medicaid currently covers around 780,000 Mississippians. Those include the disabled, poor pregnant women, poor children and a segment of the elderly population. Medicaid expansion would provide coverage to those making up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $17,774 annually for an individual.

Tom Gresham, a member of the health and education committee who has previously served as chairman and president of Delta Council, said the passing of the resolution supporting Medicaid expansion shows that the leadership of the business and agriculture communities in the Delta understand the health care needs in their communities.ย 

โ€œYou have to have a healthy workforce and quality medical care for communities to thrive and to grow,โ€ Gresham said.

More people left the Mississippi Delta between 2010 and 2020 than any other area of the state. Gresham said that the much-needed economic boon Medicaid expansion would provide the Delta would help encourage people to stay.ย 

Getting people insured would also improve access to health screenings and preventative care,ย resulting in huge savings for individuals, health systems and taxpayers, Gresham said.ย 

โ€œIf we keep somebody from a stroke, think of the money we save versus if they have a stroke and they have to get on disability,โ€ Gresham said. โ€œThat’s how we keep people in the workforce.โ€

READ MORE: Medicaid expansion would boost economy significantly more than legislative income tax cut, studies show

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Vicksburg man charged with assaulting woman in domestic dispute

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-11-02 11:33:00

SUMMARY: In Vicksburg, Mississippi, a domestic assault led to the hospitalization of a man and woman on November 2. were alerted by Merit Region after a 28-year-old man, Daron Evans, arrived with a stab wound. Authorities dispatched to the scene found the woman, who had also been assaulted. After receiving treatment, Evans was and charged with aggravated assault domestic violence; he is held without bond until his court appearance. The woman is in stable at the of Mississippi Medical Center. An investigation is ongoing.

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Mississippi News

Cloudy and humid weekend – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Sadie Morris – 2024-11-02 10:13:00

SUMMARY: In Columbus, Mississippi, humid and cloudy weather is expected, with temperatures remaining above average in the lower 80s for the upcoming . Rain is forecasted for Election Day on Tuesday, continuing into the week with isolated showers likely. This Saturday will see patchy fog in the morning, clearing by midday, with a high around 80 degrees. Sunday will bring similar humidity, with a high in the lower 80s and mild overnight lows in the mid-60s. Throughout the week, expect persistent clouds and humidity alongside mild temperatures.

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Mississippi News

Sports Zone Saturday: A must-win weekend for Mississippi's college football teams

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www.wjtv.com – Blake Levine – 2024-11-02 09:43:00

SUMMARY: College football is back in Mississippi for the 2024 season, with a lineup of exciting this Saturday. The Zone team will special coverage from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on WJTV 12 . Notable matchups include No. 19 visiting Arkansas at 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN, while Mississippi celebrates Homecoming against UMass at 3:15 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. State UAPB for their Homecoming at 2:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+, and Alcorn State travels to face Alabama State at 4:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Southern Miss has a bye .

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