The Hattiesburg American Editorial, 7/20/8
Wemust solve the Medicaid problem now! As a businessman and former county supervisor, I am not accustomed to doing things that do not make common sense.
We had a good legislative session from January through March and accomplished good things for our constituents. The special session called by the governor, however, has thus far been a waste of our time and taxpayers’ money.
They are both wrong and two wrongs do not make a right. They are playing a terrible political game of who blinks first at the expense of the health and welfare of poor and elderly people in our state. The governor’s plan would cut 33.5 percent of the Medicaid reimbursements to Mississippi hospitals, 10 percent of payments to pharmacists, and 6.1 percent of payments to nursing homes as well as affect other healthcare providers and services.
An overwhelming majority of the people want this issue fixed and fixed now before Gov. Barbour’s Medicaid cuts go into effect Aug. 6. It is past time to fix the problem, end the politics, and do what is best for the people of our state.
