Dear friend,

Our country is struggling during this pandemic right now, and Mississippi is no exception. In fact, Mississippians have been put more at risk during this crisis by our leaders’ consistent refusal to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act.

As a result, Mississippi has lost 3,500 hospital beds in the last decade and a half, and 300 rural hospital beds with another 40% on the verge of being lost. Five rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and almost half of all current rural hospitals were on verge of financial collapse before the coronavirus pandemic.

And it pains me to say, but our state of Mississippi has been ranked as one of the poorest and sickest states in the country time and time again.

If you believe it’s finally time for Mississippi lawmakers to expand Medicaid and make health care more available to those who need it, add your name to my petition now.

Medicaid expansion would help provide much needed health care coverage to roughly 186,000 Mississippians who in this time of a pandemic desperately need it. Many of the people that fall in this Medicaid gap are the workers being hit hardest by this crisis in the service industry, such as employees at the recently closed casinos across our state. If they were to get sick now, the medical costs would be devastating.

For too long, our political leadership has willingly shunned $1 billion annually in federal funds by not expanding Medicaid that could have offered needed revenue for our rural hospitals and accessible health care for thousands of Mississippians. Who really cares that it originated as Obamacare when the train is coming and we seem glued to the track?

The partisan games must stop. When the legislature returns from its temporary suspension during the coronavirus outbreak, they must move to immediately expand Medicaid in Mississippi. It is time for our elected leaders at all levels of government to step up and demand what's best for Mississippians, not just their partisan ambitions.

If you agree and believe it’s time for Medicaid expansion here in Mississippi, add your name today.

Take care,

Mike