Mississippi is sadly a state with one of the highest rates of uninsured citizens in the country. In a system where insurance often determines who lives or dies, access to healthcare is a non-negotiable priority.
The Affordable Care Act reduced the number of uninsured people. But even in 2021, about 13% of residents in the state were still uninsured.
Recently, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation to push the coverage of postpartum Medicaid from its currently disappointing 60 days to a much more reasonable 12 months.
The move is a welcome one, as recent polls have also shown that most residents of Mississippi are eager for expanding Medicaid.
What Are the Issues That Mississippi Faces When It Comes to Healthcare?
There are a number of areas that Mississippi has come to be known for when it comes to its healthcare situation.
The state is known to have a high rate of diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Hypertension is also one of the more serious concerns troubling residents. It is often the result of unhealthy food habits, which include diets that are high in calories, unhealthy fats, and a lack of fruits and vegetables.
Similarly, people in the state, for the most part, lead extremely sedentary lives, with regular physical exercise being uncommon. Adding to this is the limited healthcare access due to the fact that many in the state live in rural areas, where proper healthcare facilities and providers are scarce.
Why Is Healthcare Access in Mississippi So Bad?
Poor policies and politics are often attributed as the cause of the state’s lacking healthcare. There is a reluctance to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
This reluctance is also seen as one of the key reasons why Mississippi’s rural healthcare system came close to collapsing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lack of access to care is also exacerbated by the fact that many Mississippi residents have incomes that are above the limit to qualify for Medicaid but are still too low to afford private insurance. The end result is a section of the population that is essentially locked out of the healthcare system due to their income bracket.
However, recent developments are showing a positive trend. The legislation that Governor Tate recently approved will lead to the expansion of Medicaid coverage, which falls under the ACA. This move comes in preparation for the election season that is drawing closer, where healthcare will become an important point of contention.
With such a move, it is likely that Obamacare in Mississippi will be rid of some of the chains that state politics has long since placed on it and might pave the way for further Medicaid expansion.
The GOP has long since been in favor of reducing government influence in healthcare, preferring and promoting market-based solutions.
One example of this is their push for telemedicine to address the healthcare needs in rural areas. While such an approach is very much important, it still has a lot of hurdles to overcome before it becomes an effective option to make healthcare access affordable.
Speaking of affordability, some insurance companies are taking more altruistic steps to help out Mississippi residents. Rob and Gina Sevilla run Agape insurance. A company that seems to be taking this mantle of affordable healthcare seriously.
They offer insurance policies for a wide range of contexts, including Dental/ Vision / Hearing, Cancer, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, and insurance for long-term care.
Agape has been filling the much-needed role of professional medicare advisors in the Tupelo region and beyond.
Their focus on providing affordable insurance to residents is also evident from the glowing customer reviews they receive, with many highlighting how with their help, they were able to find insurance policies that wouldn’t break their banks.
Conclusion
Healthcare in Mississippi has gone through some turbulent times. The unfortunate combination of poverty, substance abuse, unhealthy lifestyles, and politics all make quality healthcare a distant reality for most residents.
The income requirements to qualify for Medicaid combined with the high cost of private insurance is also a key factor that has led to an almost crisis state in Mississippi.
While many insurance companies capitalize on this situation, some, like Agape, take a more humanitarian route. In addition, the U-turn in some policies by the state government certainly looks like it is going to help more people.