Expansion Is Compassion

It has been more than a decade since Medicaid Expansion was first offered under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Since then, forty-one states and the District of Columbia have taken advantage of the program to bring more healthcare to more of their citizens. Mississippi, so far, isn’t one of them. This could change during the current legislative session.

The price tag alone is notable. Mississippi has an annual Medicaid budget of more than $6 billion and expanding the program could bring about $700 million to cover the costs of expansion. At least 90 percent of that cost will be covered by the federal government. But the economic impact goes beyond the price tag. Giving underserved Mississippians more access to primary care will catch fatal and debilitating diseases earlier, cutting the costs of healthcare for every person impacted and for the healthcare system in general.

Also, sick people work less and cost businesses more when they miss work and curtail productivity. Studies have shown that Medicaid expansion would have the knock-on effect of bringing billions of federal dollars into Mississippi’s economy, creating thousands of jobs and stimulating local economies. Additionally, it would reduce the financial burden on hospitals, especially rural ones, by reimbursing them for treating uninsured patients, which currently costs state hospitals more than $538 million.

Expanding Medicaid would provide coverage to about 300,000 low-income adults in the state, ensuring they have access to necessary healthcare services such as doctor visits, hospital care, and prescription medications. These Mississippians are the backbone of our economy. They are the mechanics, the restaurant workers, the stockers at the grocery store. We see them every day and they need help. But ultimately, expanding Medicaid isn’t just about hospitals and the economy. It’s about common sense and compassion. All Mississippians should have access to the care they deserve if we are going to be the thriving state we aspire to be. So far, the state has turned down more than $1.2 billion by refusing to expand Medicaid. It’s time to change this. Contact your legislators today and tell them to make the right choice. For Mississippi’s economy and for Mississippi’s citizens.