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Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann Delays Medicaid Expansion, Citing Trump’s Approval of Work Requirements
Controversy Brews as Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann Stalls Medicaid Expansion Pending Trump‘s Return
According to Raw Story, Mississippi’s Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann is putting the brakes on expanding Medicaid until former President Donald Trump is back in office. He wants to add work requirements to the program which the current administration hasn’t approved. Delbert Hosemann explained that he’s following what other states have done. They applied work requirements before Biden took office and Trump approved them. Now Delbert Hosemann feels he has to wait until after the next election to apply which delays progress. Mississippi is one of the few states that haven’t expanded Medicaid as allowed by the Affordable Care Act. This act allows federal funding to cover people earning below 138% of the poverty line. Currently Mississippi’s Medicaid is more limited and doesn’t cover everyone in that income range. The work requirements Delbert Hosemann wants to add were allowed by Trump but then canceled by Biden. These requirements asked able-bodied adults to prove they were working a certain number of hours to qualify for Medicaid. However these rules caused many eligible people to lose coverage due to paperwork issues. Studies showed they didn’t increase employment rates.
Republicans including Rep. Matt Gaetz have pushed for these requirements to be reinstated. Gaetz even tried to make them nationwide but the bill didn’t become law. Delbert Hosemann‘s decision is controversial. While he waits for Trump‘s possible return to power thousands of low-income Mississippians are left without expanded health coverage. Critics argue that people shouldn’t have to wait for political reasons to get the healthcare they need. The debate over Medicaid expansion and work requirements continues to be a heated issue with both sides presenting arguments about its effectiveness and fairness. Until a resolution is reached many low-income residents in Mississippi remain in limbo uncertain about their access to essential healthcare services.
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Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann Delays Medicaid Expansion, Pledges to Wait for Trump – Check Out the Implications for Healthcare Access!
Implications for Healthcare Access and Community Well-being
Furthermore, the holdup in expanding Medicaid in Mississippi has big effects on healthcare and its people. Without more coverage lots of Americans with low incomes can’t easily get important medical help. Research always says that when Medicaid expands Americans get healthier, can see the doctor more, and it’s less hard on their wallets. If Medicaid grows it means more folks can get good healthcare making communities healthier too.
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