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GOVERNOR BARBOUR DISCUSSES
HEALTHY MISSISSIPPI AGENDA
WITH MISSISSIPPI NURSES
At a walk-through at the Mississippi Nurses Association Convention in Tupelo, Governor Haley Barbour dicussed his agenda for a healthy Mississippi
TUPELO (October 18, 2007) - Today, Governor Haley Barbour shared his agenda for a healthy Mississippi with members of the Mississippi Nurses Association on a walk through at their convention in Tupelo.
Governor Barbour presents this plan in his recently released "Agenda for Mississippi Future" in which he says, "Four years ago, Mississippi was in the midst of a health care crisis caused by lawsuit abuse. Frivolous lawsuits increased the cost of health care and caused doctors to leave the state and hospitals to lose insurance. Obstetric wards were closing, and neurosurgeons had stopped performing emergency surgery. The cost of Medicaid had nearly doubled. The unsustainable increase in the cost of Medicaid threatened the solvency of the program and was sucking money away from other priorities such as education and law enforcement. In 2003, I proposed specific reforms to address these problems. The Legislature responded, enacting reforms to stop lawsuit abuse and save Medicaid. As a result, we are keeping our doctors in our state and taking care of the truly needy with a financially solvent Medicaid program." Governor Barbour worked with the legislature to make reforms and face this health care crisis.
* Enacted the most comprehensive tort reform legislation in the country. Afterward, the largest insurer of doctors in the state cut its rates for the first time in years and began writing new policies, the biggest health care insurer in the state cut its rates, and new insurance providers entered Mississippi.
* Enacted Medicaid reforms to verify people's eligibility face-to-face and to change its prescription drug program to better utilize generic drugs instead of more expensive brand name drugs
* Medicaid is now offering a free annual physical examination to every beneficiary to check them for diabetes, high blood pressure, and to make sure they're taking the right medications.
* Enacted the "Mississippi Healthy Students Act" which requires 150 minutes of physical activity per week and 45 minutes of health education instruction for K-8th grade students.
* Partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield to promote the Let's Go Walkin' Campaign to get Mississippians active and raise awareness of the benefits of exercise. First Lady Marsha Barbour is leading the campaign.
Governor Barbour's "Agenda for Mississippi's Future" outlines his blueprint for building on the accomplishments of the past four years to further create a healthy Mississippi:
1. Establish a "Mississippi Health Insurance Exchange" to make it easier for more employers to offer their employees health insurance, to provide employees with more choices, and to make it easier for employees to keep their health insurance when they change jobs.
2. Enroll all eligible children in the State-Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). To pay for this, the federal funding formula must be adjusted to remove the provisions that unfairly shortchange Southern states such as Mississippi.
3. Improve the quality of health care through improved medical
technology.
4. Increase the number of physicians in our state by increasing the class size and the number of residents at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
5. Protect Medicaid for those who are truly needy by ensuring that everyone receiving Medicaid is eligible for Medicaid. Governor Barbour will oppose efforts to repeal the most effective anti-fraud program in Medicaid which requires beneficiaries to confirm their eligibility once a year in person.
Governor Barbour describes the innovative "Mississippi Health Insurance Exchange" in his agenda. Barbour said, "This plan will make it easier for more employers to offer their employees health insurance, to provide employees with more choices, and to make it easier for employees to keep their health insurance when they change jobs."
A state-authorized health insurance exchange will function as a market clearinghouse for health insurance options. The state will not make decisions for employers, employees, or people purchasing individual policies. Instead, the health insurance exchange will provide the administrative role akin to a human resources department at a larger corporation.
Employers and employees should be able to purchase health plans of their choice while taking advantage of the existing tax benefits of employer-based health insurance. In a "health insurance exchange," a Mississippi business would contribute a pre-designated amount of money towards the cost of an employee's health insurance. By designating the "exchange" as the employer's health plan, the contribution becomes tax-free to the small business owner, and the value of the health benefits are tax-free to the employee.
Barbour continued, "Every Mississippian is able to compare the prices and coverage options when it is time to buy car insurance. The decision about which car insurance to buy for their children is not made by their employer. The Mississippi Health Insurance Exchange will allow Mississippians to take ownership in their health care by giving them more options to choose the insurance plan that works best for them and their family."
In coming days, Governor Barbour will discuss other aspects of his "Agenda For Mississippi's Future." The entire policy plan can be viewed at www.haleybarbour.com/future.html
For More on Governor Barbour's Healthy Mississippi Initiatives visit: http://www.haleybarbour.com/issues/healthy/ and http://www.governorbarbour.com/issues/health/index.html
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