Medicaid expansion effort collapses in Republican-led Mississippi Legislature

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The first serious effort by Mississippi’s Republican-led Legislature to expand Medicaid has died. Negotiators missed a Thursday night deadline to file a final proposal, and that killed the issue for the four-month session. Senate leaders insisted on a work requirement for new enrollees. House leaders said voters should decide whether to extend coverage to more low-income people who can’t afford private insurance. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says passing Medicaid expansion will be the first order of business during the 2025 legislative session. Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the U.S., with some of the worst health outcomes. It is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid.