MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2004 1st Extraordinary Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Morris, Holland, Eaton, Akins, Bailey, Barnett, Blackmon, Broomfield, Brown, Burnett, Calhoun, Clark, Clarke, Coleman (65th), Espy, Fillingane, Flaggs, Fleming, Formby, Franks, Gadd, Gibbs, Harrison, Hines, Ishee, Markham, Martinson, Masterson, Mayo, McCoy, Miles, Moak, Moore, Moss, Myers, Parker, Peranich, Perkins, Pierce, Reed, Reynolds, Robinson (63rd), Rogers (14th), Scott, Smith (27th), Smith (39th), Staples, Stevens, Stringer, Sullivan, Taylor, Warren, Watson, Whittington, Woods, Young, Evans, Patterson, Bounds, Rotenberry, Thomas, Arinder, Vince, Hudson, Turner, Fredericks, Horne, Straughter, Frierson, Middleton, Ellis, Montgomery, Coleman (29th), Ward, Nicholson
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO EXPAND THE CALL OF THE FIRST EXTRAORDINARY SESSION OF 2004 TO INCLUDE LEGISLATION THAT WILL REINSTATE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY FOR THE POVERTY LEVEL AGED OR DISABLED (PLAD) GROUP.
WHEREAS, the Medicaid program provides a comprehensive system of health care services to approximately 720,000 Mississippians, which services are vital to the health and well-being of most of those individuals; and
WHEREAS, because of the significant budgetary pressures before and during the 2004 legislative session, the Executive Branch proposed, as a cost-saving measure, to remove the 65,000 individuals in the Poverty Level Aged or Disabled (PLAD) group from Medicaid eligibility and move them to the federal Medicare program; and
WHEREAS, during the waning days of the 2004 session, in order to prevent the repeal of the Division of Medicaid, the House of Representatives reluctantly agreed to remove the PLADs from Medicaid eligibility on July 1, 2004, after providing for federal waivers to cover the 5,000 PLADs not eligible for Medicare and certain other chronically ill PLADs; and
WHEREAS, although most of the PLADs will be covered under Medicare, their loss of Medicaid eligibility will significantly impact the availability and quality of the health care that they will receive, particularly the number of vitally needed prescription drugs, and most of them will face increased costs for many of their health care services; and
WHEREAS, there will be major costs to the health care system in Mississippi after the PLADs are no longer on Medicaid, because many hospitals and other providers will be forced to bear the health care costs not covered by Medicare for a large number of those individuals; and
WHEREAS, although federal law will require the state to remove the PLADs from Medicaid eligibility by January 2006, or pay the total cost for the PLADs with state funds, we believe that this group of low income elderly and disabled individuals should be kept on the Medicaid rolls at the present time, because of the great hardships that will be imposed on them by the transition to Medicare:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we request the Governor to expand the call of the First Extraordinary Session of 2004 to include legislation that will reinstate Medicaid eligibility for the Poverty Level Aged or Disabled (PLAD) group. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be provided to Governor Haley Barbour and to members of the Capitol Press Corps.