Mississippi Today

Maybe health care policy just isn’t Gov. Tate Reeves’ thing

Published

1 year ago

March 4, 2024

With his fellow Republican leaders set against him and pushing Medicaid expansion through the Legislature, Gov. Tate Reeves had a statewide platform last week with his State of the State address to warn Mississippians of the perils of this policy.

But he said nothing. Zilch.

He didn’t even mention the state’s dire, long-running health care problems that rival third-world areas.

Instead, he’s tweeted about it.

Actually, he mainly just retweeted Donald Trump’s erudite, well-thought argument against Medicaid expansion: “Obamacare Sucks!!!”

But later last week, as GOP-led expansion legislation continued moving through the Legislature, Reeves elaborated on his well-reasoned, detailed argument against the policy:

“Count me amongst those ‘extreme MAGA Republicans’ who think Government should not run health care,” Reeves tweeted.

So, for the one issue before Reeves that is, literally, life-or-death for many of his fellow Mississippians, he offers no policy. Only politics. Obamacare sucks.

Reeves, in his eight years as lieutenant governor and nearly a full first term as governor, never really had any health care initiatives — sort of like Trump when he was president. It just wasn’t on his radar, even as Mississippians and hospitals struggled.

Reeves has never been all that big on proposing any major policies — just killing others’ proposals or glomming onto them if they look like a winning ticket politically. By his own admission, he’s never shy about saying, “No.”

Reeves has made clear he believes taking more federal Medicaid tax dollars to provide health care for poor working Mississippians sucks. It’s dirty, corrosive “welfare” money that Mississippi just doesn’t need. Mississippians, he has opined, just need to get better jobs where they have insurance. Quit being poor. Quit being sick.

Yet, when his reelection campaign was bailing water last year from his lack of any plan to address the health care crisis threatening to shutter many hospitals, Reeves hastily came up with one: He expanded Medicaid payments to hospitals.

That’s right, he opted to take more of that dirty Medicaid “welfare” federal tax money as a stopgap in his only major health care policy to date.

Not only that, the avowed anti-tax Reeves levied a tax on hospitals to cover the state match to draw down the welfare — er — Medicaid money.

If you’re playing along at home, it’s hard to scan, but this appears to be his overall tack: Federal dollars are bad, if they go to help poor, struggling Mississippians (of which there are many, and, just doing some napkin math, many vote Republican). But federal dollars are good if they go to businesses or institutions or, really, anything besides said poor folk.

Reeves recently boasted at a press conference of the state receiving more than $1 billion in federal money to expand internet service, that he wanted Mississippi to receive not only its fair share of the federal largesse, but “more than our fair share.”

But Mississippi — perennially at or near the top of the list of most federally dependent states — accepting federal money to address our having at or near the highest rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality, early mortality in general, amputations from diabetes, lack of doctors … well, that’s just wrong.

Republicans House Speaker Jason White and Medicaid Chairwoman Missy McGee last week after shepherding an expansion bill through the House struck a chord.

“‘No’ is not a policy that has helped or will help low-income, working Mississippians,” McGee said.

White last week noted that Medicaid expansion is not a perfect solution, but it’s the only realistic one presently available to address the state’s health care crisis.

“It’s like when momma only put out turnip greens and cornbread for supper,” White said. “That was it. There wasn’t anything else coming out. You could eat it or not.

“It’s what’s for supper.”

If you’re the governor of a state, and your state has the highest mortality rates, the lowest life expectancy — again, third-world health statistics — well, it’s probably time to start engaging with your fellow state leaders on solutions, start talking with the citizenry about it.

It’s probably time to propose some policies, especially if you don’t like the ones they’re coming up with.

“Obamacare sucks!!!” is not a real policy.

“No” is not a real policy.

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

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.biloxinewsevents.com/?p=337325

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UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

1 day 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

1 day 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:

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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.