Mississippi Medicaid Director: Federal Health Care Will Cost State Millions

Dr. Robert L. Robinson

Expanded Federal Poverty Limit Would Add 400,000 More To Rolls

Basic requirements of federal health care reform could push as many as 400,000 new Mississippians onto Medicaid rolls in 2014 at an annual average cost of more than between $225 to $250 million to state taxpayers, Division of Medicaid officials stated today in a joint meeting of the state Senate and House public health committees. In 2020, if States pick up the full cost of the newly enrolled, the cost to Mississippi taxpayers will be $438 million per year.

The new law grants new categories of coverage to families and childless adults between 100 percent and 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Limit, Richard Roberson, Special Assistant to the Executive Director, told legislators. Compared to other states, Mississippi has one of the largest percentages of its population within these limits.

“We struggle to pay for the program that we have now, said Medicaid Executive Director Dr. Robert L. Robinson. “With federal health care reform we will soon need more than $1 billion from Mississippi taxpayers annually to pay for this program. In 2014, our Medicaid program will cover approximately one out of three Mississippians and consume 20 to 25 percent of our state budget.”

The law will also impact Mississippi hospitals by reducing the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program which provides supplemental payments to hospitals that serve a high volume of uninsured patients. Last year, Mississippi paid more than $200 million to Mississippi hospitals through its DSH program.

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