In recent decades, Mississippi has defied the odds in economic development. Landing first Nissan and then Toyota automobile manufacturing plants, Steel Dynamics and Aluminum Dynamics flat-roll operations, and recently Amazon Web Services in Madison County and EVE Energy battery plant in Marshall County, Mississippi is, as Gov. Tate Reeves often repeats, is “open for business.”
Those job victories are in addition to the $8.8 billion in agricultural production value led by Mississippi’s poultry and timber industries.
To keep Mississippi “open for business” it is incumbent on our state’s leadership to make sure current and future employers can invest in our state with a reasonable assurance of quality public schools, a well-maintained system of transportation infrastructure, green spaces and amenities that offer a reliably good quality of life, and an accessible, affordable and effective healthcare system.
Mississippi is finally taking steps toward reclaiming a portion of the federal tax dollars Mississippians have been paying to provide public healthcare for the working poor in 40 other states but not in our state where healthcare disparities are achingly real and politically inarguable.
The Mississippi House of Representatives has by a margin of 98 to 20 passed legislation that would expand Medicaid benefits to individuals aged 19 to 64 who earn no more than 138% of the federal poverty level. The bill contains a work requirement – which the feds are likely to disapprove – but even so, the bill would expand Medicaid coverage in Mississippi for four years before a legislative repealer kicks in.
The bill now awaits the action of the Mississippi State Senate, where Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has been a champion of providing healthcare for Mississippi’s working poor along the general lines of the House proposal. If the Legislature can agree on a plan, that plan would then go to Reeves’ desk for his signature, veto, or decision to allow the bill to become law without his signature.
Opponents of any form of Medicaid expansion in Mississippi and the other 10 states across the country that have not expanded coverage make three primary arguments – the state can’t afford the state share of the costs, expanding Medicaid will discourage finding work, and states should not increase enrollment in a “broken program.”
But a scholarly article from the Journal of American Medicine in 2020 entitled “The Benefits of Medicaid Expansion” argues that Medicaid expansion impacts the state’s economy in three tangible ways: “1) Helps low-income families’ health and financial well-being, especially those in which someone has lost a job; 2) Expanding Medicaid reduces hospitals’ uncompensated care…uninsured patients will still be cared for, as hospitals on the front line have demonstrated every day throughout the coronavirus pandemic; and 3) Medicaid expansion creates or protects jobs.”
The academic study, first published in 2019 by the National Bureau of Economic Research, was written by University of Michigan scholars Thomas C. Buchmueller and Helen G. Levy, and Betsy Q. Cliff of the School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.
The trio of scholars found: “Comparing trends in states that implemented the Medicaid expansion to those that did not, we find that the ACA Medicaid expansion substantially increased insurance coverage and improved access to health care among unemployed workers. We then test whether this strengthening of the safety net affected transitions from unemployment to employment or out of the labor force. We find no meaningful statistical evidence in support of moral hazard effects that reduce job finding or labor force attachment.”
The House version takes advantage of the fiscal realities of expanding Medicaid with a work requirement. The repealer gives state government a chance to review and assess the program after four years. And it provides a revenue source for Mississippi’s beleaguered rural hospitals.
Let me repeat this because it bears repeating. Mississippians who pay federal taxes are already paying for expanded Medicaid that benefits the working poor in other states. They were paying for it under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. The catch is, that none of your fellow Mississippians who are working but can’t afford health insurance can access that care.
The Mississippi Legislature should finish the job and change that irrational fact. Working poor Mississippians deserve the same medical care available to 80 percent of their American cousins.
41 comments:
He sounds like a teen: "But everybody has one."
In a perfect world everyone would have every thing. But it's not. This mindset of "people deserve" has gotten completely out of hand.
Here's a synopsis of Salter's column:
Expanding welfare (with more failed Obamacare) is economic development.
A huge percentage of physicans don't accept patients with Medicaid , for a number of reasons that have been mentioned here in past threads. You can give people free "insurance" but it doesn't mean they will get any better medical care or outcomes until they start taking some accountability for their own health.
Good point, this still didn’t change under Trump while we were in charge. Also since the House plan calls for the providers to pay for the states share the naysayers will scream the governments 90% share is still tax money, we are still paying it now anyway for 40 other states. Hey the fed money is gonna get pissed away (Ukraine) anyway whether you like it might as well have it come to the ‘Sip.
This is sham reasoning. The working poor already qualify for reduced or free healthcare premiums on the Obamacare exchange.
The working poor need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Back in 1899 my ancestors came to America with nothing more than a few Pennies to their names. They didn’t even speak English. However, they had a Protestant Northern European work ethic. They worked and toiled and sweat and bled and made something for themselves and built a foundation for generational wealth. Now you Marxists want to tax us dry to pay for these lazy, stupid, scum. All while they replicate like rodents. No thank you.
"Mississippians have been paying to provide public healthcare for the working poor in 40 other states"
This is a lie. Mississippi receives far more in federal funds than it pays in.
we pay NOTHING for healthcare in other states
Tate's plans are to make Mississippi so uncomfortable for the poor and unemployed that they will leave the state while making it a haven for the high earners. I'm sorry but it ain't happening. In fact just the opposite. Always has been and continues to be...just the opposite. We might as well provide for our poor, they are here and guess who's leaving.
There he goes again. Why won’t someone mention to Sid Salter that it would be much more informative if he would explain why the Republicans, of all people, are trying to shove expansion and other Democrat favorites into law? This writer is merely regurgitating what he has said before about Medicaid expansion. But the real story lies in explaining who is pushing this effort, and why. If the Republican Party in this State is truly a Conservative Party, they may need to clean house.
1) Against all odds? Based on our batting average, Salter should take this opportunity to revise his odds sheet.
2) Medicaid expansion has zero to do with Economic Development as no prospect looking to bring jobs to this state is going to hire those mired in poverty. Sid should study his list of logical fallacies.
3) Green spaces? There you go again, Sidney.
The day is coming soon where everyone has government paid healthcare, food, housing, utilities, cell phones, internet, and transportation. Nobody will work and nobody will pay taxes. The entire country will look just like Cuba. Get ready!
CNBC had an article out recently that said one trillion dollars was being added to the national debt every one hundred days. I ask, how long before we feel the pain of austerity? How long before Uncle Sugardaddy can't borrow, and it has to function from only tax money? Someone needs to ask what the end game is here?
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/01/the-us-national-debt-is-rising-by-1-trillion-about-every-100-days.html
Salter draws a paycheck from Mississippi State and watches politics from the cheap seats.
Prior to my recent retirement as a lawyer, a large portion of my practice involved debt collection lawsuits for a major public medical provider in Mississippi. The cases often involved debts incurred by the working poor. As a result, many of these folks were forced to declare bankruptcy. Others had their wages garnished. The debts and collection efforts I pursued often disrupted families and brought more than a few of these good and decent people to tears in a public courtroom when their pleas for forgiveness of their debts had to be ignored. I am certain that if Medicaid had been available to these folks, that many of them would have been spared the disruption and humiliation that were brought upon them for no other reason than they were poor.
A society that values wealth hording over helping the needy is a failed society.
10:05 Cuba has an almost universal literacy rate. 15 points higher than the USA average despite having a world power 90 miles away that has made it it's job to crush any sort of economy.
72 years after the revolution and we are still embargoing them? Why? I guess the rich are just waiting until they can figure out how to exploit.
Cuba has an almost universal literacy rate. 15 points higher than the USA average ...
Link?
2:23, all of your bankrupt clients could’ve purchased federally subsidized health insurance at healthcare.gov and avoided the embarrassment of bankruptcy, but that woulda required personal responsibility.
A reminder to some, an education to others, that you are not eligible to purchase health insurance on the (Obamacare aka ACA) exchange unless you declare on your 1040 a minimum of (the amount of income changes every year) around $13,000 or $14,000 in adjusted gross income.
Salty Said, "..many of them would have been spared the disruption and humiliation that were brought upon them for no other reason than they were poor.
I continue to be amazed at the depth of some attorneys' ignorance. Poverty is not a 'reason' (for anything). It's a symptom.
5:10, not true. Who is eligible to use healthcare.gov marketplace reference below straight from their site. Nothing about minimum income limits on there.
Are you eligible to use the Marketplace?
To be eligible to enroll in health coverage through the Marketplace, you must:
Live in the United States (U.S).
Be a U.S. citizen or national, or be lawfully present non-citizen in the U.S. Learn about eligible immigration statuses.
Not be incarcerated.
If you have Medicare coverage, you can't enroll in a Marketplace health or dental plan. Learn more about Medicare and the Marketplace.
4:44 & 5:27----5:10 is correct.
Also, access to reasonable health care is a fundamental, natural, and constitutional right to all pursuant to the substantive due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
However, to some extent, 5:27 is correct. "Poverty" is at times a "symptom" of the human existence--often caused by damage to the frontal cortex of the brain due to one's genetic makeup; and in utero, childhood, and adolescent exposure to excessive mental/emotional stress which leads to higher levels from the production of glucocorticoids in the adrenal glands. Several triggers can cause this including racial/social discrimination, physical/ emotional abuse, along with major depressive syndrome and other forms of mental illness.
I think it was Jesus who commanded his followers that just as you treat the poor, you also treat him. Therefore, I suspect that some folks who profess to be Christian's, might have some explaining to do at the Final Judgment.
This reminds me of what the advocates said when dockside gaming was being considered. “Oh think of the money for roads, bridges and schools this will generate.” We’ve had gaming for decades now and they still aren’t spending enough money for roads, bridges and schools. Then it was a lottery they were considering. “Oh think of all the money we’ll have,” they said. Then sports betting. And now Medicaid expansion…and he says “but…this is economic development.” I’ve had enough snake oil pitches.
If Medicaid is such a good idea then why not let everyone go on it? Why should I have to pay for someone else healthcare? No one pays for my. health care? If I have to pay for it then I should be able to use it.
2:23 - You are 100% correct.
Salty at 6:24 - It's interesting that you cover the entire waterfront in your defense of the poors - but you left out the possibility that some are members of that social strata due to simply being lazy assed and unmotivated. We can debate percentages all day long.
Now you'll tell me motivation is a product of socialization and is impacted by discrimination. Certainly, those without are products of those 'with', since opportunity in this country is restricted to the upper-middle class and above (right?).
PS: Nowhere in scripture-translation can you quote Jesus as admonishing us to provide for the lazy, the non-contributors, the slothful and those who could but refuse to pull the wagon.
A healthier work force will promote economic development.
The word ‘Medicaid’ is not found in the Bible.
I don't think any of you have any experience dealing with the working poor in today's society or any idea that some of the "working poor" had health insurance that left them so deeply in debt they couldn't borrow or get a credit card to pay the next big bill.
Have you a clue what rent is these days? Have any idea about the costs when a working poor person's car breaks down? It's not like cousin joe the mechanic or tinkering dad can fix what's broken anymore. And that will become worse. Frankly, I wouldn't invest in Auto Zone.
You have sat by while "deregulation" allowed monopolies to reform and for "added charges" for nothing to be added. Your GOP blocked the ability to end bogus charges and taxes.
And, look at Boeing once the nickle and dime and penny counters all decided stock price was more important than safety! Once you still worship the CEO of Ford when the Pinto $2 decision actually was based on the value of life being less important than safety because the lawsuit value of a Pinto owner would be less than fixing the problem. Who cares than planes crash and Pinto catch fire?
In a money is everything society, not meeting basic human needs like food,shelter, and medical aid leads to a fail society. The hordes of the poor storm the gates. And, even with religions, see Bloody Mary and the Roundheads to see that society suffers and dark days follow.
I really wonder what is passing for history courses at every level of education these days?
@9:48 AM. Let me be perfectly clear so there is no misunderstanding.
You have no idea what I do to help others. That is between me and God.
You have no idea what and how much I donate to charities that I support.
You have no idea what others do to help those in need.
You scream because some don't agree with you. But you have no idea what others may do with their own money, time, talents, etc to help others. And its their money, time, talent to offer. You can't demand it of me.
Redistribution of wealth - a socialist's wet dream.
In a faraway time had a old Ford Pinto with a manual trans that me and some pals tricked up. Boy it could really go. Gotta feel sorry for the old retread @9:48.
@7:41 - I will give you ten valuable silver dollars if you can show proof that any legislator, committee bill, bill on the floor, bill passed from house to senate or vice versa contained language regarding gaming proceeds going to roads, bridges and schools.
Yours is a common fallacy. But it's bullshit.
8:19----It's my understanding that the bills under consideration are to expand Medicaid to protect/cover the "working" poor.
Also, Jesus made his admonishment because in the culture of the day, it was considered to be "God's will" that some people were poor. That attitude still persists among many folks even today.
8:23pm, don’t kid yourself, your only here on earth to work til you die and pay taxes to the federal and state governments so others can get free shit like Medicaid, food stamps and disability checks. Go back to work and quit all that crazy thinking like you deserve something from the government you pay for.
@ March 7, 2024 at 1:25 PM
Chapter and verse, please.
2:64----Austin 3:16--Ha!!!! Isn't it great that we have a platform like JJ to vent!
2:54----But seriously, take a look at the beatitudes when Jesus spoke his Sermon on the Mount as written in the book of Matthew.
Tryin' to keep up here. Who are 'the Roundheads'?
11:32 - Bill 2001 which created the Mississippi Lottery Corp. specifically outlined that spending proceeds were to be earmarked for state highways for 10 years. The part that stinks is why just 10 years? Don't we need to maintain highways beyond 10 years? I'll tell you why - politicians sell the idea on it being something to fund roads, but they place the 10 year limit on it, after which the money goes into the general fund to be used (wasted) on whatever passes through the political grist mill. They even dangled a carrot with actual numbers - the lottery was to generate $40 million the first year, and $80 million a year after that. This came straight from the Transportation Committee Chairman after it approved the 135-page bill, which was just before it passed and signed into law by Gov. Bryant.
There you go...keep your silver dollars. Next time Google it yourself.
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