Mississippi Medicaid Mess
Reported by Eleanor - July 16, 2004 -
Bill Moyers on PBS (Now, July 16, 9:00 p.m.) detailed how republican lobbyist Haley Barbour, who was elected governor of Mississippi in 2002, has tackled the state's budget problems by cutting the poorest and most diabled people in the state off Medicaid. Barbour's spokesperson recently had to leave a town meeting under police escort as a result.
Under the old state Medicaid rule people with incomes up to $12,600 a year were eligible for Medicaid. Barbour's new rule limits Medicaid to incomes of $6,800 a year. Across Mississippi, poor, sick people are receiving a form letter labeled "Notice of Adverse Action" deleting them from the state Medicaid roles. Gov. Barbour said he had no choice. He must balance the budget.
The democrats wanted to raise the cigarette tax to balance the budget, since Mississippi taxes cigarettes at 18 cents a pack, while the national average is 72 cents a pack, but tobacco is big business in Mississippi. People who are being left with as little as $40 or even $8 a month for food after paying for doctors and medicine are coming in droves to town meetings, angry as hornets.
Barbour says the safety net is charity rather than death, and he hands out phone numbers of drug companies at these meetings that supposedly will give away drugs free of charge, but they make no promises, and some of the numbers don't even work. Some people, depending on age, are eligible for federal Medicare programs, but can't afford the deductibles.
Barbour's voters are wondering how a native Mississippian got it so wrong, saying it's the most royal policy screw-up ever.
Comment: The sickest, most vulnerable, most disabled citizens of Mississippi might vote democratic this time, even if they don't approve of the democrats' "cultural values."
