Mississippi
Q&A: Rep. Missy McGee calls postpartum Medicaid expansion ‘most impactful thing’ state can do for women and children
State Rep. Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, says it’s her mission to advocate for ladies as considered one of few females within the Mississippi Legislature. Well being Editor Kate Royals met with McGee to speak about her experiences as a lawmaker and her push to increase postpartum Medicaid protection for brand new mothers in Mississippi.
Editor’s notice: This interview has been edited for readability and size.
Kate Royals: Inform me a bit about your self – as a girl, a mother, a comparatively new lawmaker.
Missy McGee: I used to be born and raised in Hattiesburg. I’ve a bachelor’s and grasp’s diploma from Southern Miss. I spent just a few years in Washington, D.C. after faculty and got here again to Hattiesburg. I labored in my household enterprise, I used to be an adjunct teacher at Southern Miss, so I’ve been in that college setting.
I’m married and I’ve two grown boys which are 24 and 21, and I type of discovered myself right here (as a legislator). You already know, it’s a wierd path and I feel most likely all of us would say the identical, however I by no means anticipated to run for public workplace. I used to be at all times a behind the scenes individual on points that had been necessary to me or candidates who I felt like had been those I assumed we wanted to assist. So, I loved being a behind the scenes individual.
However it’s actually been an excellent privilege and honor to get to symbolize my hometown, a metropolis that’s been so good to me and my household. I used to be educated and raised in Hattiesburg. My youngsters have been as properly, so it’s significant work to get to return to the Capitol and advocate for my district which is my residence, my lifelong residence. However hopefully to additionally transfer the needle for the state of Mississippi. It’s been an excellent privilege and alternative for me these previous … that is my sixth session.
Royals: You launched a invoice within the Home to increase postpartum Medicaid protection for moms in Mississippi from 2 months to 1 yr. Why?
McGee: You already know, I simply felt like there has by no means been a extra well timed alternative than this session, on this post-Dobbs period particularly – nevertheless it’s been necessary for longer than that to introduce a Medicaid postpartum invoice that may lengthen protection to 12 months.
As a girl and as a mom, I couldn’t let this situation cross with out advocating it and actually attempting to push it ahead.
Royals: How do you suppose it will profit the ladies in your space and in addition ladies throughout the state of Mississippi? (Editor’s notice: This interview was performed earlier than McGee’s invoice, Home Invoice 426, died with out being thought-about in committee.)
McGee: I feel it’s the most impactful factor that we are able to do for ladies, mothers and infants. So we all know that … 36,000 infants had been born in Mississippi in 2019, and we all know that 65% of the infants born in Mississippi are born to mothers on Medicaid. That’s not arduous math to determine; that’s 23,000 ladies a yr. That’s 23,000 ladies that this could affect, which is 23,000 infants, which is 23,000 households.
I actually suppose that it’s a pro-family place, actually a pro-life place, to maintain these mothers who’re carrying and delivering and bringing these infants into the world – as a result of wholesome mothers equal wholesome infants. They go hand in hand, so I actually consider it’s at present probably the most impactful factor we are able to do for ladies and kids.
Royals: You’ve bought a hospital and a giant well being care neighborhood in your space – and they’re in assist of this?
McGee: Completely, they’re. And it’s not simply the pediatricians and neonatologists who maintain these preemies within the NICU (who assist extending postpartum protection). However the ER docs are for it as a result of … if a girl doesn’t have medical health insurance and he or she’s sick for no matter motive after having a toddler, she exhibits up within the emergency room. So ER medical doctors are supportive as properly as a result of they’re seeing them, too.
I feel it’s protected to say your entire well being care neighborhood is aware of that is necessary for the properly being of mothers and, once more, infants.
Royals: It appears to be like like Alabama and North Dakota had been simply accepted by CMS for 12 months postpartum Medicaid protection, becoming a member of half the states with approvals thus far. Mississippi is at current 1 of solely 2 states with out prolonged PP protection or Medicaid growth. As somebody very a lot in the course of the lawmaking course of, do you may have any perception into why this can be?
McGee: All I might say is that I hope that we received’t be going ahead. I hope we’ll be part of these states in extending protection to those mothers to 12 months. That’s all I can say on that.
Royals: In line with the Heart for American Ladies and Politics, you’re considered one of 26 ladies in your entire state Legislature —26 out of 174. Are you able to inform me what that’s like?
McGee: Sure, I consider I’m considered one of 15 ladies within the Home. So out of 122 members of the Home of Representatives – and that quantity has modified a little bit bit. Nicely, you realize, I really feel like I’ve a better accountability to the ladies of Mississippi. We make up 50%, 51% of the state but there are solely 15 of 122 ladies within the Home, so I do really feel a better accountability to look out for the problems of girls.
That’s not my solely concern, actually, however I do really feel an added accountability to the ladies of Mississippi. Everyone involves this job coming from their very own body of reference. As a girl, as a mother, I’ve experiences that my male colleagues don’t have, similar to they’ve experiences I don’t. So on points like this I really feel like, to not be repetitive, I really feel a better accountability to champion necessary causes for the properly being of girls in our state.
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