Georgia has the nation’s only Medicaid work requirement. Mississippi could be next

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — After years of refusing to expand Medicaid, some of Mississippi’s Republican leaders now say they are open to the policy. But only if they can require new enrollees to have a job. That approach could hinge on presidential politics and an ongoing legal battle in Georgia. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says Mississippi must consider all options to improve its labor force participation rate and poor health outcomes. Hosemann says Georgia, the only state that requires Medicaid recipients to meet a work requirement, could be a model for Mississippi. The new legislative discussion comes after debate over Medicaid expansion stalled for years in Mississippi because of opposition from Republican leaders.