Jones: Medicaid Cuts Unnecessary

The following letter to the editor appeared in the Clarion Ledger, Sun Herald and Hattiesburg American

Dear Editor:

This week the Governor said that he has no choice but to cut Medicaid, a program that serves over 600,000 Mississippians. In making his case, the Governor has blamed the Legislature, the Mississippi Constitution, and most recently, a Hinds County Chancery Court. This argument, while frightening to countless Mississippians, has no logical or historical linchpin.

In the long road to Medicaid cuts, Governor Barbour has had countless opportunities to take a detour. During the regular session, the House of Representatives passed a cigarette tax increase that would have more than funded the current deficit. During the Special Session, the House offered to meet the Governor half way and fund Medicaid partially through a cigarette tax increase and partially through the Governor’s hospital tax increase. Finally, the House offered a bill that would have postponed Medicaid cuts until 2009. All of these alternatives have been flatly rejected by the Governor

Medicaid deficits are nothing new to this state or to this Governor. In 2005, the Department of Medicaid saw its deficit balloon to $250 million, $160 million more than the current shortfall. Despite this troubling figure, the Governor never raised the specter of cuts to the Medicaid program.

This year, the legislature appropriated $567 million to Medicaid. That is more than enough money to carry the Medicaid program well into both this fiscal year and the 2009 legislative session.

During this time of economic uncertainty, it is not fiscally responsible to increase the burden on Mississippi’s healthcare providers or the sick people who rely on their services. It would be even less prudent to carve up the healthcare program that serves our most vulnerable citizens.

Make no mistake, if the Governor makes good on his promise to cut Medicaid, it will be his decision and his decision alone. Unfortunately, we will all have to pay for it.

Sincerely,

Rep. Brandon Jones

Mississippi House of Representatives, District 111