Republican Health Care Act Will be Devastating to Mississippi

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If there’s any doubt what a disaster the Republican’s health care “reform” will be for Mississippi, read Sid Salter’s column in today’s Clarion-Ledger.   Compared to the rest of the nation, Mississippi has more poor uninsured citizens, and greater dependence on Medicaid.  

Salter’s column reads in part –

“(I)n the poorest state in the union, Mississippi’s health care disparities create a huge problem in terms of paying for health care…

“How important is Medicaid in Mississippi? Well, about 46 percent of all federal funds received in Mississippi is tied to Medicaid. In 2011, 37 percent of Medicaid spending in Mississippi was for Medicare (health care for senior citizens) beneficiaries with 162,000 dual eligible — those eligible for both Medicare (by age) and Medicaid (by poverty).

“In Mississippi, the Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers 1-in-7 adults under the age of 65, 1-of-2 low income Mississippians, 1-of-2 children, 3-of-4 nursing home residents, and 2-of-5 people with disabilities.”

The “American Health Care Act,” presently sailing through a Republican-dominated Congress, will be devastating to Mississippi.  Health care costs will rise, coverage will shrink, health disparities will multiply.  Love Trump or hate Trump, this is not what candidate Trump promised.  This is not “reform” that we can afford.