Poll: 80% of Mississippians favor Medicaid expansion

A large majority of Mississippians throughout partisan and demographic traces help increasing Medicaid to supply well being protection for the working poor, in keeping with a newly launched Mississippi Right now/Siena Faculty ballot.

The ballot confirmed 80% of respondents — together with 70% of Republicans — both strongly agree or considerably agree the state ought to “settle for federal funds to broaden Medicaid.”

The numbers seem to indicate a continued shift of voter sentiment in what has lengthy been a partisan battle. Mississippi’s elected Republican governors and different leaders for the final decade have blocked Medicaid growth by way of the Inexpensive Care Act and the billions in federal {dollars} that will have include it. This resistance continues whilst struggling hospitals and extra residents within the poorest, unhealthiest state cry for assist.

“Sure, I help it,” mentioned Pleasure Cevera, 60, a Republican voter from Oxford who mentioned she usually helps Gov. Tate Reeves however disagrees with him on Medicaid growth. A number of ballot respondents agreed to speak with Mississippi Right now about their responses.

For Cevera, a disability-retired cook dinner, the difficulty is private.

“I was one of many working poor,” she mentioned. “I watched my son undergo as a result of I couldn’t afford medical look after him … He’s now 35, and I’m nonetheless watching him undergo as a result of he’s one of many working poor. There’s acquired to be one thing performed. If different states can do it, why can’t we?”

The ballot confirmed giant majorities throughout partisan and demographic traces strongly help the state’s hospitals, giant and small, being adequately funded and a majority consider state authorities has a duty to assist poor, working individuals pay for fundamental healthcare. Huge majorities, together with 91% of Republican voters, agree each Mississippian ought to have entry to good well being care.

“I believe we do have a duty as a society to assist people, and typically the oldsters you’re serving to aren’t your favourite people, however too unhealthy,” mentioned Brad Dickey, 58, an engineer from Southaven who mentioned he votes Republican no less than 90% of the time. “The appropriate to dwell is a fundamental proper … They need to broaden it. We’re an unhealthy state … I inform my pals who say they don’t need to give cash to individuals who don’t work or can’t afford insurance coverage, ‘Sure, however they’ve youngsters.’

“They’ve to have one thing, in any other case what they do is go to the emergency room,” Dickey continued. “It will be far more inexpensive care if performed one other approach. It stresses the hospitals, and sure, we find yourself paying for it anyway.”

Editor’s be aware: Ballot methodology and crosstabs might be discovered on the backside of this story. Click on right here to learn extra about our partnership with Siena Faculty Analysis Institute.

Mississippi is considered one of 11 states to refuse growth. The choice means the state is refusing about $1 billion a 12 months in federal funding meant to assist poor states present healthcare, and leaving as much as 300,000 working Mississippians with out protection.

In the meantime, well being officers say 38 rural hospitals are in peril of closure, largely because of consuming the price of offering care to indigent sufferers. A few of these hospitals are bigger regional care facilities, resembling Greenwood Leflore Hospital, and even bigger metro space hospitals are struggling financially due to uncompensated care prices.

However 14% of voters, together with 23% of Republicans, in keeping with the ballot, stay against Medicaid growth. A few of these, resembling small enterprise proprietor Joseph Allen, 42, of Brandon, see it as a difficulty of equity and an excessive amount of of their tax {dollars} going to social or entitlement applications.

“I pay for my very own insurance coverage myself, and it’s some huge cash,” Allen mentioned. “… To me it’s like the identical outdated damaged document in America. The extra you place in, the extra you’re penalized. The more durable you’re employed, the extra they take.”

Unbiased voter Michelle Dukes, 52, a homemaker and caregiver in Edwards, mentioned beforehand working 15 years within the psychological well being providers subject confirmed Medicaid is a flawed program and “the system must be mounted earlier than they broaden it.”

For some voters, help of Medicaid growth comes with caveats and limits.

“I help it, however in a really particular approach,” mentioned Robby Raymond, 47, a heavy tools operator who helps Gov. Reeves and is pals with him from their hometown in Florence.

“I do consider we have to do extra to assist the working poor, or the retired,” Raymond mentioned. “… However for the people who find themselves capable of work that don’t and suppose they want help — what they want is a job. That’s our massive downfall on this complete nation, that we don’t do sufficient to assist the folks that need assistance, and do an excessive amount of for the individuals who don’t want it … I’ve been lucky and at all times had an excellent job, made good cash and had insurance coverage. However there’s plenty of individuals I do know that wrestle.

“I do disagree with Tate Reeves (on Medicaid growth), however I nonetheless speak with him a few instances a 12 months, and I do know that he additionally shares my viewpoint that we should always do extra to assist our retired and our working poor,” Raymond mentioned.

Tim Moore, president of the Mississippi Hospital Affiliation and advocate for Medicaid growth, mentioned he was not stunned to see widespread help for growth, however the numbers had been somewhat greater than he would have anticipated.

“I’ve for a very long time thought it’s no less than 65%-70%, merely due to the excessive numbers we acquired on our final ballot simply with Republican voters,” Moore mentioned. “An awesome majority of Mississippians help it. I don’t know the way our management ignores that.”

Moore mentioned MHA participated in polling in 2019, gearing up for a poll initiative drive for voters to pressure Medicaid growth over legislative reluctance. However the state Supreme Court docket, in a ruling on medical marijuana, invalidated the state’s poll initiative system and lawmakers have but to revive that proper to voters.

Moore famous that South Dakota, like Mississippi, was lengthy a maintain out on Medicaid growth due to partisan politics. South Dakota voted 56% to 44% final 12 months to broaden Medicaid.

“South Dakota can also be a really crimson state,” Moore mentioned. “Their governor made a public assertion that she didn’t help it, but when that’s what South Dakotans wished, she would put it in place.

“I’m very inspired by the numbers this new ballot is reflecting,” Moore mentioned. “Mississippi is seeing the necessity for change.”

State Rep. Tracy Arnold, a conservative Republican from Booneville, mentioned he’s not stunned on the help the ballot confirmed for Medicaid growth. He not too long ago did some casual polling of his constituents on Fb, and mentioned he estimates help was 90% to 95%, “So long as you’re speaking concerning the working poor.”

“I’m not stunned, as a result of that’s the one portion of our society that’s neglected of the whole lot — working individuals and small enterprise homeowners,” Arnold mentioned. Arnold mentioned he’s enthusiastic about “some kind of hybrid,” growth, maybe just like that enacted by Arkansas.

“Perhaps have some purchase in, like regular insurance coverage with copay for visits and medicines, or perhaps a voucher to allow them to purchase insurance coverage on the non-public market,” Arnold mentioned. He mentioned he may additionally help serving to seniors who wrestle to pay for supplemental insurance coverage for Medicare.

Arnold mentioned that though the management has thwarted voting or debate on Medicaid growth in recent times, he suspects will probably be no less than debated when different points are introduced up, such because the Senate’s push to broaden postpartum protection for moms.

“I believe individuals are somewhat extra open minded about it than they had been,” Arnold mentioned. “We have now a considerable quantity of income now. We have now to assist save our struggling hospitals, and this is able to not solely be giving hospitals extra funding, it will hep the struggling taxpaying citizen.

“There’s only some states left that haven performed this, and it seems to be offering some profit and providers the place they’ve,” Arnold mentioned. “… My place is, I’ll take heed to the individuals I characterize.”

The Mississippi Right now/Siena Faculty Analysis Institute ballot of 821 registered voters was performed Jan. 8-12 and has an total margin of error of +/- 4.6 share factors. Siena has an A score in FiveThirtyEight’s evaluation of pollsters.

Click on right here for full methodology and crosstabs related to this story.