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Medicare, Medicaid numbers: How many people use federal health insurance in Mississippi?

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Medicare, Medicaid numbers: How many people use federal health insurance in Mississippi?


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  • As of August 2024, approximately 642,000 Mississippians relied on Medicaid and CHIP for healthcare coverage.
  • Although Mississippi has not yet adopted Medicaid expansion, discussions about its potential implementation are ongoing.
  • More than half of births in Mississippi are covered by Medicaid.

Medicaid could face cuts as Congress looks to develop a new budget. The program benefits the elderly, children, people with disabilities and adults. Do you know what government health care spending looks like in your community? How many people in Mississippi depend on the program?

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a budget resolution that would extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and plans for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over a decade.

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Trump reportedly said he doesn’t want cuts to Medicare, which insures people 65 and older and those with disabilities.

Experts have expressed concern changes could be coming to programs like Medicaid, which insures about one in five Americans.

According to KFF, about 24% of the Mississippi population is covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In fiscal year 2022, Medicaid spending was $6.3 billion in the state, and the federal government paid 82.5% of costs.

Here’s what we know about how many people get health insurance from the government in Mississippi, including Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP and how the programs affect Mississippi families.

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How many Mississippi residents get Medicare?

According to KFF, Mississippi had almost 637,000 Medicare beneficiaries in 2024. The federal health insurance program helps seniors 65 and older and adults with long-term disabilities. Most in Mississippi, 57.1% are enrolled in traditional Medicare, and about 43% are in Medicare Advantage.

Approximately 503,000 get Part D coverage, which limits prescription drug costs to $2,000 out of pocket. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 also caps insulin costs at $35 for Medicare recipients, starting in 2023.

How many people in Mississippi are on Medicaid and CHIP?

According to KFF, about 642,000 people in Mississippi got health care via Medicaid and CHIP as of August 2024.

By the numbers, that looks like:

  • One in seven adults aged 19-64.
  • One in two kids.
  • Three in four nursing home residents.
  • Two in seven Medicare recipients.
  • Three in eight people with disabilities.

About 64% of non-elderly Medicaid enrollees in the state are non-white.

What about work requirements?

Some conservatives have suggested adding a work requirement to the federal program.

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The move failed to gain enough traction in Trump’s last term, and opponents said the move fails to realize significant savings. They argue it adds to administrative costs while paperwork requirements trip up and strip benefits from qualified recipients.

Some states have implemented the plan.

Jennifer Tolbert, deputy director of the KFF program on Medicaid and the uninsured, told USA TODAY that Mississippi is among the states that have asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the OK to launch a Medicaid work program.

More than half of adult Medicaid recipients in Mississippi — 62% — are working, per KFF. Forty percent of the state is defined as low income, and about 15.2% of adults in Mississippi reported having medical debt, almost twice the national average of 8.6%.

Where does Medicaid spending in Mississippi go?

According to KFF, adults and children make up 65% of the state’s Medicaid enrollment and account for 34% of spending. Elderly people and those with disabilities make up 35% of Mississippi enrollment but account for 66% of expenditures.

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The main Medicaid spending in Mississippi goes to:

  • Managed care: 43%.
  • Long-term care: 28%.
  • Acute care: 20%
  • Medicare payments: 6%.
  • Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments: 4%.

Health Insurance: Who’s covered and who’s not

Did Mississippi adopt Medicaid expansion?

No. Forty states and the District of Columbia have adopted and implemented the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion, but Mississippi is not one of them.

The measure died last year in the Mississippi Legislature, despite work to expand healthcare to about 200,00 of the state’s working poor. The likelihood that Medicaid expansion might pass in 2025 currently looks slim.

Expansion allows adults with income up to 138% of the poverty line to get coverage.

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According to KFF, the state currently pays 23 cents of each dollar spent on Medicaid, with the federal government booting 77% of costs.

The state, KFF said, would drop its share to 10 cents of every dollar spent if it adopts the expansion and potentially see $400 million in two years in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds.

The future of the expansion, however, is unclear amid current federal budget talks.

Leadership in the Mississippi Legislature has reportedly agreed to keep “dummy bills” alive in the House and Senate while the issue is debated by the GOP-led Congress and in the White House.

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Medicare vs. Medicaid: Key differences in the government-run programs

Medicare and Medicaid both are government-run health insurance programs but there are several key differences between the two.

How does Medicaid affect families?

More than half of births in the state, 57%, are covered by Medicaid, and Mississippi is part of the 12-month postpartum coverage extension.

About 20% of women aged 15-49 in Mississippi are insured through Medicaid.

Parents must have an income less than 27% of the federal poverty level to keep Medicaid after pregnancy coverage ends in Mississippi. (That amount is set by the Department of Health and Human Services and depends on the number of people in the home.)

Last year, a report from the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan foundation focused on health care policy, ranked Mississippi last in women’s health and reproductive care. The state scored low overall because of lack of access to care — particularly in the Delta area — a statewide abortion ban and the lack of Medicaid expansion.

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Mississippi’s infant mortality rate per 100,000 people is also high at 9.1, compared to 5.6 for the U.S.

Contributing: Pam Dankins, Grant McLaughlin, Sudiksha Kochi, Savannah Kuchar, Ken Alltucker, Riley Beggin

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.



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Mississippi

Who does Mississippi State baseball play in the NCAA tournament? Bulldogs’ opponent set

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Who does Mississippi State baseball play in the NCAA tournament? Bulldogs’ opponent set


TALLAHASSE, Fla. — Mississippi State baseball must win to keep its season alive.

The No. 3 seed Bulldogs (35-22) were crushed 10-3 by No. 1 Florida State (40-14) in the NCAA tournament’s Tallahassee Regional on May 31. It sets up a rematch from the NCAA tournament opener with MSU against No. 2 Northeastern on June 1 (11 a.m. CT).

The winner of Mississippi State versus Northeastern will play Florida State in the regional final on June 1 (6 p.m.).

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The Huskies (49-10) held off Bethune-Cookman 4-3 earlier in the day to advance. MSU flattened Northeastern 11-2 on May 30 to begin the regional.

Interim coach Justin Parker said after the Florida State loss that the plan is to start Evan Siary at pitcher against Northeastern.

The Bulldogs, who fired coach Chris Lemonis on April 28, are in their second straight NCAA tournament. They are 10-3 under interim coach Justin Parker.

MSU would be in its first super regional since 2021 if it wins the Tallahassee Regional.

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Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.



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What channel is FSU baseball vs Mississippi State on today? Time, TV schedule for NCAA regional

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What channel is FSU baseball vs Mississippi State on today? Time, TV schedule for NCAA regional


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Florida State baseball returns to Dick Howser Stadium for day two of the Tallahassee Regional.

After defeating Bethune-Cookman, 6-2, FSU will take on Mississippi State on Saturday at 6 p.m., following the elimination game between BCU and Northeastern.

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While dealing with a severe weather delay for two hours, FSU produced three home runs to take down the Wildcats.

As the Seminoles took care of business against the Wildcats, facing the Bulldogs will be a challenging task if they want to advance to the regional finals on Sunday.

Mississippi State had a pair of home runs of its own, led by Noah Sullivan and Joe Powell. Powell finished with four RBI and two hits. The Bulldogs had 13 total hits to take down the Huskies. Bryce Chance had four of those hits.

FSU is 7-7 against Miss. State all-time. Its last meeting was on June 2, 2018, when the Bulldogs defeated the Seminoles, 3-2, on a walk-off victory at Dick Howser during regional.

Here’s how you can watch the regional final.

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FSU baseball vs. Mississippi State in NCAA tournament

What channel is FSU vs Mississippi State on today in Tallahassee Regional ?

FSU vs Mississippi State start time in Tallahassee Regional

  • Date: Saturday, May 31
  • Time: 6 p.m. EST

FSU and Mississippi State will play at Dick Howser Stadium.

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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.



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No Kings Day protests against President Donald Trump planned in Mississippi. See where, when

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No Kings Day protests against President Donald Trump planned in Mississippi. See where, when


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  • Protests against President Trump’s administration are planned for Flag Day, June 14, in Mississippi and across the U.S.
  • The protests, called “No Kings Day” or “Day of Defiance,” coincide with the Army’s 250th birthday and Trump’s 79th birthday, which are also on June 14.
  • The 50501 Movement, among other organizations, is coordinating protests in multiple Mississippi cities, including Jackson, Gulfport, Tupelo, Starkville and Hernando.
  • Previous protests have focused on issues such as Trump’s policies on deportations and tariffs, as well as concerns about Elon Musk’s involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency.

A new round of protests against President Donald Trump and his administration in his second term are planned in Mississippi. This time, the demonstrations will be on Flag Day. June 14 is also the president’s birthday.

The new events are called No Kings Day or the Day of Defiance, and they’ll take place across the U.S. They’re the latest in a series of growing grassroots protests across the country. Events are being scheduled in more Mississippi towns than earlier in the year.

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So far in 2025, the 50501 Movement has organized protests at the Mississippi State Capitol Building on Feb. 5; Presidents’ Day, Feb. 17; on March 4; on April 5; on April 19; on May Day, May 1; and over Memorial Day weekend, May 24.

Here’s what we know so far about the parade scheduled in Washington and the protests scheduled in Mississippi, around the country.

Why is the Army having a giant parade on Trump’s birthday?

Flag Day, the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday and Trump’s 79th birthday all fall on the same day.

The Army reportedly is planning a large military parade. About 7,000 troops, 50 aircraft and more than 150 vehicles — including tanks — are set to roll by the president on a grandstand in Washington, D.C. There will also be aircraft flyovers and fireworks.

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The Golden Knights plan to parachute in and present a flag to the president at the end of the procession, then Trump will preside over a ceremony enlisting and re-enlisting some soldiers.

The event is scheduled to take about four hours.

Where will the June 14 protests be in Mississippi? What time do they start?

The group coordinating the events are working to have one protest in every state that day. The 50501 Movement is one of many partnering organizations.

“On June 14—Flag Day—Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else,” the site reads.

Jackson: noon to 2 p.m. at the south side of the Mississippi State Capitol, 400 High St. 50501 Mississippi is organizing the event. (The same group is hosting a Veterans Defending Democracy rally in the same location at noon June 6.)

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Gulfport: 9-11 a.m. at the Gulfport Federal Courthouse. The MS Gulf Coast Mutual Aid Collective is organizing the event. “We’ll hear testimonies from fellow Mississippians about what ‘liberty and Justice for all’ means for them, and we’ll continue to build a movement of the people, by the people and for the people. Bring your signs, banners and noise makers and wear white in defiance of the fascists’ whitewashing of history,” event organizers wrote.

Tupelo: 10:30 a.m. to noon in front of U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly’s office, 431 W. Main St. Indivisible Northeast Mississippi is the event organizer.

Starkville: noon to 3 p.m. at The Hub.

Hernando: 3-4 p.m. at the DeSoto County Courthouse, 2535 Hwy. 51 S.

See photos of most recent protest in Jackson, MS

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Why are people protesting in Mississippi on No Kings Day?

People who have shown up at previous events in Mississippi have said they take issue with Trump’s policies, including deportations and the effect tariffs could have on the economy.

While Elon Musk is stepping away from the Department of Government Efficiency, protestors have concerns with the team’s access to sensitive information and how cuts to government contracts, services and staffing were made during his tenure.

Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.



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