Congress considers Medicaid expansion workaround to provide health care to poor Mississippians

Democrats in the U.S. Congress are considering a way to offer health care insurance for low-income Mississippians who have been denied coverage because of the refusal of the state’s political leadership to expand Medicaid.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellSeptember 21, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, U.S. Congress, Democrats, health insurance, low-income, American Rescue Plan Act

State economist refutes politicians’ claim that Mississippi cannot afford Medicaid expansion

The most common refrain of prominent Mississippi elected officials who have long rejected the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act — that the state cannot afford the costs of the program — was refuted this week by the state’s leading economic expert.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellSeptember 15, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, investigation, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, Gov. Tate Reeves, Philip Gunn

Mississippi reaches $55.5M settlement with state’s largest Medicaid contractor Centene over pharmacy benefits

Mississippi has reached a $55.5 million settlement agreement with Centene, the 24th largest corporation in the United States, amid an investigation into whether the state’s largest Medicaid contractor was overcharging for pharmacy benefits.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellJune 16, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Centene Corp, overcharge, settlement, investigation

Mississippi could gain 21,700 jobs under Medicaid expansion

Expanding Medicaid in Mississippi will create roughly three times the number of jobs as the Nissan plant in Canton and the Toyota Motors Manufacturing plant in Blue Springs did combined, according to a national report released Thursday.
In Mississippi, of the 21,700 new jobs possibly created with Medicaid expansion, 12,500 of the jobs will be created in healthcare, 1,400 in construction, 2,600 in retail, 400 in finance and insurance and 4,900 in other sectors…

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellMay 20, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, new jobs, Nissan, Nissan Canton, Toyota Blue Springs, American Rescue Plan, Biden

State Auditor, AG investigating Centene on allegations it has pocketed millions of taxpayers’ money

Both the state auditor and Mississippi attorney general are investigating whether Centene Corp., as a provider of Medicaid drug services, failed to disclose discounts on pharmacy services, inflated dispensing fees and received reimbursements for amounts already paid.

Insurance Commissioner discusses Medicaid and expansion

The federal pandemic relief bill contains a big incentive for states that haven’t expanded Medicaid. Mississippi is one of 12 states holding out on the expansion.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellMarch 29, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, congress, Insurance Commissioner, Mike Chaney, Affordable Care Act

Congress poised to offer Mississippi more money to expand Medicaid

President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package poised to be approved by Congress offers a sizable financial incentive for Mississippi to expand Medicaid to provide health care coverage to primarily the working poor.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellMarch 8, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Joe Biden, Covid-19, covid-19 relief, congress, Hob Bryan, American Rescue Plan Act

Louisiana expanded Medicaid by a Democratic governor’s executive order. Conservatives in the ‘ruby-red’ state have embraced it.

FRANKLIN, La. — As Mississippians struggle over the merits of Medicaid expansion, patients to the west in ruby-red Louisiana are already seeing the benefits after Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards implemented the program five years ago.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellMarch 3, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Louisiana, Louisiana Medicaid, Sen. Fred Mills, Governor John Bel Edwards, Dr. Gary Wiltz, health insurance, ACA

Deep red Indiana passed a ‘conservative’ version of Medicaid expansion. Model for Mississippi? Or a cautionary tale?

Two years before Mike Pence kicked off his term as vice president with a pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the former Indiana governor announced an agreement with the Obama administration to bring the national health law’s benefits — and billions in federal dollars — to his home state.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellFebruary 24, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Senate Republicans, Indiana, Mike Pence, Obamacare

Nonprofits help uninsured Mississippians patch together health care services

Sitting in his home in New Orleans, Andrea Lane watched in alarm as his toes began turning a dark color.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellFebruary 17, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Andrea Lane, diabetes, health insurance, insulin, Diabetes foundation, coverage gap, donut hole

Senate Republicans reject plan to expand Medicaid, provide health care coverage to 300,000 more Mississippians

Senate Republicans rejected two efforts late Tuesday afternoon to expand Medicaid, which would provide coverage to an estimated 300,000 Mississippians who cannot otherwise afford health care.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellFebruary 10, 2021Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, medicaid coverage, Senate Republicans

Mississippi leaders say they can’t expand Medicaid, citing the cost. (What they don’t say is they’ve already expanded it to cover inmates.)

Mississippi makes it impossible for many of the state’s most impoverished to qualify for Medicaid.

Mississippi News, News, Mississippi SpotlightKatherine MitchellFebruary 4, 2021COVID-1 9, covid, Mississippi Medicaid, federal money, expand coverage, medicaid expansion, pandemic, Mississippi Spotlight, Unsteady Pulse, Mississippi inmates, medicaid coverage, MississippiCares, Richard Roberson