Mississippi Today

Poll: 92% of Mississippi voters concerned about hospital crisis, 72% favor Medicaid expansion

Published

2 years ago

September 1, 2023

An overwhelming majority of Mississippians are concerned about the state’s hospital crisis, and voters by a large margin favor Medicaid expansion to provide health care for the working poor.

A new Mississippi Today/Siena College poll shows 92% of likely voters surveyed are concerned about the hospital crisis, with 70% saying they are “very concerned.”

Expansion of Medicaid — one widely proposed solution to the hospital crisis — is favored by 72%, opposed by 23%, with 5% not answering.

Editor’s note: Poll methodology and crosstabs can be found at the bottom of this story. Click here to read more about our partnership with Siena College Research Institute.

A recently updated study shows nearly half of the rural hospitals in Mississippi — a poor, unhealthy state already lacking in health care — are struggling financially and at risk of closure. Most medical and hospital officials in the state favor expanding the state-federal Medicaid program, using federal money to provide health care to the working poor and help flagging hospitals cover uncompensated care.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley’s campaign has focused on the hospital crisis and expanding Medicaid as a key plank in his platform.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has given conflicting answers to whether he believes the state’s hospital and health care crisis is a serious campaign issue this year, and he opposes Medicaid expansion. Reeves and other state GOP leaders have blocked Medicaid expansion, equating it to welfare, for the last decade as most other states adopted it and as support for it has grown among Mississippi Republicans.

Yet when respondents of the recently released poll were asked whether Reeves or Presley “will do a better job addressing the Mississippi hospital crisis,” the two candidates were tied at 44% each.

Mississippi Today asked Reeves at the Neshoba County Fair in late July what his reaction was to hospitals and medical facilities laying off employees. The governor chuckled, didn’t substantively respond and brushed off the question.

But minutes later, asked a similar question, Reeves said: “We’ve got to have more availability of health care throughout our state, we’ve got to have more accessibility to health care throughout our state and we’ve got to make sure that we can make health care more affordable throughout our state.”

Reeves has adamantly opposed Medicaid expansion for years. He said solutions to the state’s health care woes include providing Mississippians with better jobs and allowing more free-market competition in medical services in the state. Reeves said he wants lawmakers to remove regulations on hospitals.

Presley recently said of Reeves: “Where have you been for 12 years? You were lieutenant governor for eight. You’ve been governor for four. If all of these ideas were great, why haven’t you gotten them done, partner?”

Forty states have expanded Medicaid. Expansion has been blocked in Mississippi primarily by Reeves and outgoing House Speaker Philip Gunn.

A times Presley has said he will expand Medicaid on his first day in office. But that would not be possible and it is questionable about whether he could do it under any circumstance without legislative approval. In recent days, Presley has said “on day one I will take action to expand Medicaid and save our hospitals.”

Speaking to a legislative panel recently, Republican Insurance Commissioner Insurance Mike Chaney said, “We’re going to have some very severe problems within the very near future. I’m talking about in six to 24 months, we’re gonna have some hospitals that close.”

Chaney told legislators his office is contracting with a group to study the issue and offer possible solutions.

Mississippi Today/Siena College polling has tracked support for Medicaid expansion since early 2023. Some results:

January 8-12: 80% support, 70% of Republicans support

March 6-8: 75% support, 59% Republicans support

April 16-20: 60% support, 52% of Republicans

June 4-7 (likely GOP primary voters only): 52% support, 35% oppose, 13% not sure

The Mississippi Today/Siena College Research Institute poll of 650 registered voters was conducted August 20-28, 2023, and has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points. Siena has an ‘A’ rating in FiveThirtyEight’s analysis of pollsters.

Click here for complete methodology and crosstabs relevant to this story.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Up Next

Welfare scandal is big deal to Mississippi voters. But will it play in governor’s race?

Don't Miss

Poll: Tate Reeves leads Brandon Presley by 11 points in governor’s race

Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

23 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

24 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

Loading…

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.