Lawmakers are myopic about Medicaid – Jackson Clarion Ledger

Matt Williams(Photo: Special to The Clarion-Ledger)Before spreading negative myth about Medicaid recipients, check the dataAt a recent budget hearing, the executive director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid testified that improvements in health may result in some Medicaid cost savings, but that a bigger factor is the state’s high enrollment, which is tied to how well the economy is performing. Because Medicaid eligibility is based on income and family size, Mississippi’s high rates of poverty, uninsured and unemployment drive enrollment to some extent.In response, some members of the budget committee said the issue may not be a lack of jobs or a stagnant economy, rather that “able-bodied” adults ages 18 to 65 on the Medicaid rolls are unwilling to work the many jobs available throughout the state.But the most recent data on Medicaid enrollment and the labor force neither supports the notion that Medicaid enrollment is …
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