Mississippi Today

See running total of how much money Mississippi is turning down by not expanding Medicaid

Published

10 months ago

July 10, 2024

Mississippi would receive an additional $2.04 billion the first year Medicaid was expanded to provide health care coverage for the working poor, according to projections compiled in June by the state’s University Research Center.

Based on that projection, Mississippi Today is unveiling a digital tracker that will run continuously displaying how much money the state is losing in federal funds by not expanding Medicaid. The tracker reflects the amount of money loss per millisecond for the year based on Medicaid expansion beginning on the start of the fiscal year, July 1st.

How much federal funding has Mississippi turned down this year?

*Estimates calculated by the Hilltop Institute*

The tracker is not exact: The amount of Medicaid money the state receives is based on a number of factors, primarily the health care needs of those covered by Medicaid. Medicaid provides funds to health care providers for rendering medical services to those who qualify for Medicaid.

The state might receive more federal Medicaid funds, for example, during a flu or COVID-19 outbreak because Medicaid recipients would be receiving more health care.

But for the sake of the tracker, it will be assumed the money received over a year – a projected $2.04 billion – would be distributed evenly.

The tracker presumes that Medicaid expansion would begin in Mississippi on July 1 – the first day of a new fiscal year.

It’s also helpful to explain how the University Research Center derived the projection the state would receive $2.04 billion the first year in federal funds for expanding Medicaid.

The bulk of the federal funds would come from taking the projected number of enrollees – nearly 250,000 — and multiplying that number by the estimated $6,139 expenditure per enrollee. The federal government pays 90% of that cost.

Included in that is money the state would receive by moving certain groups of people currently enrolled in Medicaid where the federal government pays 77.3% of the costs to the new expansion population where the federal government pays 90% of the costs.

In addition, the state would receive funds from the federal government paying a tax to the state – a 3% insurance tax on each new expansion enrollee.

And during the first two years of expansion, the state would receive an estimated $335.4 million in new funds the first year of expansion and an estimated $345.5 million in new funds the second year. The funds would be provided to the state as an incentive to expand Medicaid as 40 other states have done.

The amount of the incentive funds to expand Medicaid is derived by adding 5% to the federal match the state receives from the federal government for the traditional Medicaid program. The federal match Mississippi receives for the traditional Medicaid program is 77.3%. In other words, for every dollar spent on Medicaid, the federal government pays 77.3 cents. Mississippi receives the highest federal match for the traditional Medicaid program of any state in the nation because of multiple reasons, such as the state’s high poverty rate. If Mississippi expanded Medicaid, the federal match non-expansion enrollees would go to 82.3% for two years, resulting in $680 million to the state over two years.

After two years, the 5% increase in the federal match for the traditional Medicaid program would go away. With the removal of the 5% enhanced match, the University Research Center projects the total federal expenditure on Medicaid expansion would drop to $1.78 billion in year three.

At that point, if Medicaid is not expanded, Mississippi Today will have to recalculate its tracker.

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

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

21 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

22 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

22 hours 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.