news
Gov. Haley Barbour
The Republican governor sent a letter to U.S. senators Friday to repeat what he has been saying for months — that a dramatic increase in Medicaid enrollment would strain Mississippi's budget and could force state officials to increase the sales tax, the income tax or both.
Medicaid is a government health insurance program for the needy, aged, blind and disabled and for low-income families with children. It is paid by federal and state dollars.
About one-fifth of all Mississippi residents are already on Medicaid. Barbour says a federal proposal could increase that to one-third.