Mississippi

Helping Mississippi’s Working Poor Get Healthcare is Economic Development in Action

Published

10 months ago

March 6, 2024

Helping Mississippi’s Working Poor Get Healthcare is Economic Development in Action

Columnist Sid Salter says the Mississippi Legislature should finish the job and expand Medicaid.

In recent decades, Mississippi has defied the odds in economic development. Landing first Nissan and then Toyota automobile manufacturing plants, Steel Dynamics and Aluminum Dynamics flat-roll operations, and recently Amazon Web Services in Madison County and EVE Energy battery plant in Marshall County, Mississippi is, as Gov. Tate Reeves often repeats, “open for business.”

Those job victories are in addition to the $8.8 billion in agricultural production value led by Mississippi’s poultry and timber industries.

To keep Mississippi “open for business” it is incumbent on our state’s leadership to make sure current and future employers can invest in our state with a reasonable assurance of quality public schools, a well-maintained system of transportation infrastructure, green spaces and amenities that offer a reliably good quality of life, and an accessible, affordable and effective healthcare system.

Mississippi is finally taking steps toward reclaiming a portion of the federal tax dollars Mississippians have been paying to provide public healthcare for the working poor in 40 other states but not in our state where healthcare disparities are achingly real and politically inarguable.

The Mississippi House of Representatives has by a margin of 98 to 20 passed legislation that would expand Medicaid benefits to individuals aged 19 to 64 who earn no more than 138% of the federal poverty level. The bill contains a work requirement – which the feds are likely to disapprove – but even so, the bill would expand Medicaid coverage in Mississippi for four years before a legislative repealer kicks in.

The bill now awaits the action of the Mississippi State Senate, where Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann has been a champion of providing healthcare for Mississippi’s working poor along the general lines of the House proposal. If the Legislature can agree on a plan, that plan would then go to Reeves’ desk for his signature, veto, or decision to allow the bill to become law without his signature.

Opponents of any form of Medicaid expansion in Mississippi and the other 10 states across the country that have not expanded coverage make three primary arguments – the state can’t afford the state share of the costs, expanding Medicaid will discourage finding work, and states should not increase enrollment in a “broken program.”

But a scholarly article from the Journal of American Medicine in 2020 entitled “The Benefits of Medicaid Expansion” argues that Medicaid expansion impacts the state’s economy in three tangible ways: “1) Helps low-income families’ health and financial well-being, especially those in which someone has lost a job; 2) Expanding Medicaid reduces hospitals’ uncompensated care…uninsured patients will still be cared for, as hospitals on the front line have demonstrated every day throughout the coronavirus pandemic; and 3) Medicaid expansion creates or protects jobs.”

The academic study, first published in 2019 by the National Bureau of Economic Research, was written by University of Michigan scholars Thomas C. Buchmueller and Helen G. Levy, and Betsy Q. Cliff of the School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago.

The trio of scholars found: “Comparing trends in states that implemented the Medicaid expansion to those that did not, we find that the ACA Medicaid expansion substantially increased insurance coverage and improved access to health care among unemployed workers. We then test whether this strengthening of the safety net affected transitions from unemployment to employment or out of the labor force. We find no meaningful statistical evidence in support of moral hazard effects that reduce job finding or labor force attachment.”

The House version takes advantage of the fiscal realities of expanding Medicaid with a work requirement. The repealer gives state government a chance to review and assess the program after four years. And it provides a revenue source for Mississippi’s beleaguered rural hospitals.

Let me repeat this because it bears repeating. Mississippians who pay federal taxes are already paying for expanded Medicaid that benefits the working poor in other states. They were paying for it under Presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. The catch is, that none of your fellow Mississippians who are working but can’t afford health insurance can access that care.

The Mississippi Legislature should finish the job and change that irrational fact. Working poor Mississippians deserve the same medical care available to 80 percent of their American cousins.

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Mississippi

MDOC searching for escaped inmate out of South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville

Published

2 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

MDOC searching for escaped inmate out of South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville

LEAKESVILLE, Miss. (WLOX) – The Mississippi Department of Corrections, with the help of other authorities, is searching for an inmate who escaped the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville Tuesday afternoon.

According to an alert sent out by the Greene County Emergency Management office, 33-year-old Drew Johnson escaped from the facility around 3:30 p.m. He’s currently serving a life sentence for murder.

He was sentenced on February 14, 2022.

Drew Johnson is described as a 6′0″ male with blue eyes, blonde hair, and 200 pounds.(Mississippi Department of Corrections)

Johnson is described as a 6′0″ male with blue eyes, blond hair, and 200 pounds. He was last seen near Old Highway 24 in Leakesville.

Crews are still out searching for him as of 8:03 p.m. If you have any details regarding the incident or see Johnson, officials say to call 911.

We will update this story as new details become available.

See a spelling or grammar error in this story? Report it to our team HERE.

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Mississippi

What MS Coast casino restaurants are open Christmas Day? Here’s our list

Published

13 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

What MS Coast casino restaurants are open Christmas Day? Here’s our list

Christmas on the Coast is a tradition for many families throughout the Southeast. Mississippi Coast casinos are ready to welcome them with open arms and open restaurants.

Below are the casinos open for dining on Christmas Day, some with limited holiday fare. Reservations may be required for some restaurants.

875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-386-7111.

BR Prime

Reservations required.

Holiday Bouillabaisse, Icy Blue Mussels, Little Neck Clams, Gulf Shrimp, Seabass $15
Prime Rib with Demi Glace, Thyme Horseradish Cream, Hasselback Potatoes, Heirloom Carrots, Roasted Brussels Sprouts $72
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cheesecake $15

Salt and Ivy

Reservations encouraged.

Christmas Feature $38: Crab, Shrimp and Spinach-stuffed Flounder with Dill Bearnaise, Wild Mushroom Farro and White Wine-Garlic Broccolini

The Buffet

Holiday Brunch: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Adults, $32.99; Children, $19.99; Under 4, free.

Holiday Lunch/Dinner: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Adults, $49.99; Children $25.99; Under 4, free.Free Under 4

Features include herb-crusted prime rib, spicy shrimp boil, NOLA BBQ shrimp and grilled sirloin

151 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-435-5400.

Morton’s The Steakhouse

Reservations recommended. Restaurant hours: noon to 9 p.m.

The Chateaubriand three-course menu for two includes Chateaubriand with Roasted Shallots, Red Wine Demi Reduction, Sauce Bearnaise and Au Jus; Winter Salad to share; choice of two sides; and choice of desserts for $179. Lobster tails or mini crab cakes are available at an extra cost.

Lillie’s Asian Cuisine

Restaurant hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saltgrass Steak House

Restaurant hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Restaurant hours: noon to 8 p.m.

Michael Patrick’s

Restaurant hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-374-7625.

Christmas Day Buffet, $39.99 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Menu includes starters, a carving station, Satisfaction favorites such as Southern Fried Chicken and Stuffed Crabs, Asian Cuisine, sides and desserts.

711 Hollywood Blvd., Bay St. Louis, 228-469-2100.

Epic Buffet

Restaurant hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Epic Buffet features more than 80 dishes including Crab Legs, Peel and Eat Shrimp, Southern barbecue, Asian cuisine, Creole, Italian and fresh seafood.

3300 West Beach Blvd., Gulfport, 228-314-2100.

The Buffet

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Low Country Crawfish Bisque; Creole Seafood Gumbo; Carrot Soufflé Casserole; Praline-Crusted Sweet Potatoes; Orange Chicken with Vegetables; Crispy Fried Shrimp; Carved Roast Turkey; Carved Strip Loin of Beef; Cornbread Dressing; Sliced Roast Turkey in Giblet Gravy; Carved Round of Beef, Smoked Ham and Cajun Fried Turkey; Cranberry Compote; Roasted Salmon Loin; Boiled Gulf Shrimp with Remoulade Sauce; Happy Family Shrimp and Vegetables; Smoked Pork with all the Trimmings; and more, $29.99.

C and G Grille

Christmas Day hours: 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., $26.

Choice of Starter: Seafood Gumbo or House Salad
Choice of Entrée: Roast Turkey and Dressing or Glazed Bone-In Ham Steak. Each served with Green Bean Casserole, Candied Sweet Potatoes and Cranberry Compote
Dessert: Cookie Butter Banana Pie

The Diner

Christmas Day hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., $20.

Choice of Starter: House Salad or Seafood Gumbo
Entrée: Roast Turkey with Dressing, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce and Green Beans
Dessert: Sweet Potato Pie with Whipped Cream

Dockside Deli

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., $21.

Starter: Crab and Corn Bisque or Seafood Gumbo
Choice of Entrée: Debris-Style Turkey Dressing, Green Beans, Cranberry Compote and Carrot Soufflé Casserole or Sausage Sampler with pineapple jalapeno, knockwurst and green onion sausages. Served with red kraut and warm potato salad.
Dessert: Spiced Applesauce Cake

Prime Cut Restaurant

Christmas Day hours: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., $45.

Starter: Crab and Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms Drizzled with Hollandaise
Choice of Entrée: Beef Tenderloin au Poivre or Pan-Seared Sea Bass with lemon beurre blanc. Each served with a side of choice
Dessert: Pumpkin Swiss Cake Roll

158 Howard Ave., Biloxi, 228-432-8888

Restaurant hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., $40.

Traditional Christmas menu plus Prime Rib, Smoked Baked Ham, Sliced Turkey Breast, Boiled Shrimp and dishes from the Grill, Comfort, Wok and Coastal stations.

9380 Central Ave., D’Iberville, 888-752-9772.

Under the Oak Cafe

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Herb Dijon Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes Puree, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cranberries and an Herb Dijon Reduction, $25.
Creamy Eggnog Bread Pudding, $14.

Scarlet’s Steaks and Seafood

Reservations recommended. Christmas Day hours: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Lobster Thermidor, Broiled Coldwater Stuffed Lobster topped with Mushroom Cognac Cream Sauce, Parmigiana Reggiano, Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs and Wilted Arugula Salad, $80.
Beef Wellington, 8-ounce filet mignon, with Mushroom Duxelles, Prosciutto and baked in Puff Pastry, served with Bordelaise Sauce, $78.
Creme de Mint Cheesecake, $13

5000 South Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis, 228-469-2777.

Jubilee Buffet

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Traditional holiday menu plus, all-you-can-eat Dungeness Crab and Jumbo Shrimp, $49.95.

Blue Bayou Bar and Grill

$58 per person.

Salad: Baby Spinach with Candied Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Mandarin Orange, Goat Cheese, Roasted Cacao Nibs and a Citrus Vinaigrette.
Entrée: Choice of Crispy Roasted Half Duck, Braised Red Cabbage, Port Wine Demi Glaze and Whipped Roasted Garlic Mash or Blackened Pork Loin, Pomegranate Glaze, Bacon Braised Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Gratin

1980 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-385-6000.

Infinity Buffet

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Carved ham, roasted turkey, roast brisket and more, $47.99 with crab, $25.49 without crab.

The Den

Christmas Day hours: 11 a.m. to midnight.

Bacon-wrapped stuffed pork loin, $38; or prime rib, $45.

The following casinos will be open Christmas Day but restaurant options were not available:

280 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-436-2946.

850 Bayview Ave, Biloxi, 228-436-3000.

Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X  @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

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Mississippi

Santa Claus, reindeer team cleared for Christmas Eve travel across Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

21 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Santa Claus, reindeer team cleared for Christmas Eve travel across Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

State travel agency officials are expecting the holiday travel season to be particularly hectic this year, and one of the world’s busiest travelers has now gotten the green light from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT).

At Santa Claus’ request, MDOT staff thoroughly inspected his extra wide sleigh load, ensuring it met all safety requirements. Permits were also issued for the abnormally large sack of toys, which surpassed posted weight limits, and Rudolph’s bright red nose apparently met, but did not exceed, the illumination threshold.

All takeoffs and landings to and from the homes of good Mississippi children have been approved, and exceptions were also granted for any last minute “Nice List” additions, according to the agency. On the heels of the festive certification, MDOT leaders reminded those around the state to follow Saint Nick’s example.

“Santa knows the importance of being prepared no matter how you choose to travel, and he’s a staunch, yet jolly, safety advocate to boot,” MDOT Executive Director Brad White said. “Before Santa Claus comes to your town, make sure your elf-size family members always travel in car seats, wear your seatbelt and check it twice, and remember, he sees you when you’re speeding, and he knows when you’ve been texting.

“Take it from Kris Kringle: Put safety first so everyone can have a Merry Christmas.”

Santa also received driver conduct reports from MDOT elves Darryl and Cheryl, suggesting that some of the state’s motorists could very well get a lump of coal this year. But Santa insisted that a few behavioral adjustments and a dash of Christmas spirit can change the fate of even the most egregious drivers.

Current forecasts suggest favorable conditions for sleigh flights on Christmas Eve. Magnolia State motorists are advised to drive slowly and be alert for sleighs, reindeer, and their white-tailed cousins after dark. “Blitzened driving is strictly prohibited,” concluded agency officials in a press release.

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