Mississippi
Medicare, Medicaid numbers: How many people use federal health insurance in Mississippi?
Some Senate Republicans want changes to House GOP budget plan
Some Senate Republicans have expressed concerns over cuts to Medicaid and are demanding changes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Staff
The Mississippi State Legislature will return for a special session not on redistricting, as many conservative politicians have called for, but to resolve issues with youth court and records protection.
Gov. Tate Reeves called the Legislature back into Jackson on July 14 for a special session beginning the next day, July 15, at 3 p.m.
“I am hopeful — and even optimistic — that members of both political parties can and will vote for this common-sense legislation that will help children and families all across Mississippi,” Reeves wrote in a post on X.
The issue stems from statutes that used to govern youth court records. The statutes were put in place to protect the personally identifiable information of children in the youth court system, including those who are under the care of Child Protection Services.
The Legislature is responsible for making the laws and renewing them when they are set to be repealed, but the body did not do so before the end of the legislative session in April. The statutes were repealed on June 30, and CPS employees have been left scrambling to engage in court proceedings without illegally sharing private information about vulnerable children.
Leadership in both chambers have been discussing the new laws governing youth court since the end of the session, and Reeves wrote that he was pleased with the bill that they are set to propose at the special session.
“The agreed upon solution (as proposed and agreed by House and Senate leadership) sets up a far better system for both kids who are abused and neglected, as well as those children facing delinquency proceedings,” he wrote. “For the first time, children and families will have access to full-time judges and moves us toward a uniform youth court system statewide.”
Bea Anhuci is the state government reporter for the Clarion Ledger. She has covered Mississippi politics since the start of 2026. Email her at banhuci@usatodayco.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi AI task force hears competing claims on data center costs, community impacts
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Mississippi’s artificial intelligence regulation task force opened its first day of hearings Monday, taking testimony from utility representatives, public service commissioners, and community advocates on the costs and consequences of the state’s data center industry growth.
Entergy projects lower bills; critics question the numbers
Entergy told the task force it expects residential customer bills to decrease as data center growth expands the utility’s customer base.
“When you have higher sales volume to spread those costs over, it’s going to produce a lower rate,” said Jeremy Vanderloo, vice president of business operations and strategy for Entergy Mississippi.
The company projected residential bills would be $30 a month less by 2030 than they would have been without data center growth. Entergy pushed back on a recent study commissioned by environmental groups that claims costs are already being passed on to ratepayers.
Commissioners weigh ratepayer protections
Two public service commissioners testified before the task force. Commissioner DeKeither Stamps said the goal of protecting ratepayers goes beyond simply keeping rates low.
“We should be looking for a low rate or a high rate, just the correct rate to maintain the systems,” Stamps said. “And if the citizens don’t want the correct rate, then as a regulator, we still have to put the correct rate on the table.”
Advocates raise questions on accountability
National advocate Jim Walsh questioned what would happen if industry projections prove inaccurate, asking, “Who pays if industry’s projections are wrong?” Walsh said some states and communities have placed moratoriums on data centers while they assess potential impacts.
Shannon Samsa, director of the Safe + Sound Coalition, told the task force she is not opposed to AI and data centers broadly but called for greater transparency.
“It’s about whether the people of Mississippi deserve transparency, accountability, and leaders who will protect the health and well-being of our families and communities before the interests of a private corporation,” Samsa said.
North Mississippi resident cites noise from xAI site
Samsa, who lives in north Mississippi, said residents near the xAI facility in Southaven have experienced near-constant noise for nearly a year.
“There have been numerous occasions where I myself can hear the turbines from inside my home, and I live almost 2 miles away from the site,” she said.
The task force is scheduled to hear Tuesday from local leaders in affected communities as well as companies including Amazon.
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Inside the new Lego retailer, Bricks & Minifigs
Customers can buy or sell Legos and get individual bricks at the new store in Montrose.
Shoppers visiting Renaissance at Colony Park later this month will notice a big change.
Apple is moving to a new and larger store within the Ridgeland shopping center, while LEGO plans to take over Apple’s current location once the move is complete, according to Apple and other industry sources.
Apple has announced that its new store will open July 24 near the development’s Show Fountain. The company is not leaving Ridgeland. Instead, it is moving to a new location a short distance away inside Renaissance at Colony Park.
The company has operated a store at Renaissance for more than a decade. Once Apple moves into its new store, LEGO plans to open in the company’s former space. The addition will bring another well-known international brand to central Mississippi and give LEGO fans a dedicated store in the Jackson metro area.
It is another win for Ridgeland with last week’s announcement that a Dave & Buster’s that will be located at the PradoVista development near Topgolf. A site plan and architectural review for Dave & Buster’s was approved at the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Renaissance at Colony Park continues to thrive
Over the years, the center has attracted a mix of national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores. Previous developments at Renaissance have included luxury retailers, popular restaurant chains and entertainment options that draw shoppers from across Mississippi and neighboring states.
Apple’s new location will continue offering product sales, technical support and repair services. Customers will also be able to attend the company’s “Today at Apple” classes and workshops, which provide free lessons on photography, video, music and other topics.
Apple has not released details about the size of the new store. The Ridgeland project is one of several store moves announced this summer.
Renaissance keeps storefront
For Renaissance, the deal works in several ways.
Apple stays at the shopping center and receives a newer storefront. At the same time, the center fills Apple’s former location with another high-profile retailer instead of leaving the space vacant.
LEGO stores are often considered destination retailers because customers will drive long distances to visit them. Families, collectors and hobbyists frequently seek out official LEGO stores for exclusive products and special events.
For shoppers, the most immediate change will be Apple’s July 24 opening. Customers who need repairs, technical help or product purchases will be directed to the new store after the move.
LEGO has not yet announced an opening date.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
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