The Delta Council Health & Education Committee has unanimously approved a resolution supporting Medicaid expansion.
Wade Litton of Greenwood led a special subcommittee reviewing the issue and brought it before the full committee for approval.
The Delta Council Health & Education Committee, chaired by Dr. Cass Pennington, Tim Moore, President and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association addressed the committee on the impact of Medicaid expansion on rural healthcare, followed by arguments for and against Medicaid expansion by Mike Chaney, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner.
"This effort began as a discussion among a few of us concerned about the status of healthcare delivery and profitability in the Delta," said Litton. "I asked Dr. Pennington if we could form a working group to look at these issues and that is how we began our journey.
“We talked with healthcare providers in the region, healthcare providers outside of the region, Richard Roberson at the MS Hospital Association and our friend Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney to gain insights into the dynamics that are shaping healthcare in rural America and the Delta,” he added.
Mississippi is one of 12 states not to expand Medicaid despite studies that say it would pay for itself and an increased federal matching rate under the American Rescue Plan Act would provide the state with an extra $600 million per year.
"The members of this working group included Patrick Johnson of Tunica, Bill Kennedy of Inverness, Tom Gresham of Indianola, and Paul Hollis of Rolling Fork," continued Litton. "I want to emphasize that we did not start out with the goal of zeroing in on policy related to Medicaid Expansion; we simply wanted to take a holistic look at all the issues and see what shook out. “
At least eight expansion bills were filed during the 2022 legislative session, but none were debated or considered before dying in committee.
“As we continued to talk with the experts, it became clear, however, that Medicaid Expansion could have the biggest and most immediate impact on health delivery in the Mississippi Delta,” said Litton. “We think that after you hear a summation of all the information that we gathered, you will agree that Mississippi should carefully examine the positive impact that Medicaid Expansion will have on our rural State.”
If state leaders were to expand Medicaid, at least 225,000 Mississippians would qualify for health care coverage.
“The expansion of Medicaid will allow more people to have the ability to have coverage,” said Litton, “it will allow for healthcare providers to be in a better fiscal situation, and it will hopefully impact employers’ rising insurance costs across rural areas like the one that my business operates in."
