JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday that he is working to ease financial problems for struggling hospitals — but the Democratic nominee for governor, Brandon Presley, said Reeves is hurting the state by refusing to expand Medicaid.
In the final days before the Nov. 7 general election, both candidates spoke to hundreds of business people during Hobnob, a social event hosted by Mississippi Economic Council, the state’s chamber of commerce.
“Our nation is struggling, particularly in rural areas with health care,” Reeves said. “And I want everyone to know that I am committed to addressing the problem.”
Under a proposal Reeves released last month, hospitals would pay higher taxes so the state could draw more federal Medicaid money. It’s unclear whether the plan will receive federal approval, or how long that process could take. Reeves said the changes would generate about $689 million, which would be split among hospitals in the state.
Presley said Mississippi is losing about $1 billion a year by not expanding Medicaid to people working jobs that pay modest wages but don’t offer health insurance coverage. Expansion is optional under the health care overhaul that then-President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010, and Mississippi is one of 10 states that have not taken the option. The non-expansion states have Republican governors, Republican-controlled Legislatures or both.
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