State Budget Battle Coming Down To The Wire

The new fiscal year begins at midnight July 1st.
State lawmakers are still trying to pass a budget that includes funding for Medicaid.
Governor Barbour expanded the special session agenda to allow lawmakers to debate funding for the state’s health program for the poor.
The governor opened up the agenda after the Mississippi Hospital Association agreed to the plan that taxes hospitals to help fund Medicaid.
16-year old Alyce Bouldin is one of 600,000 Mississippians on Medicaid.
She says Medicaid helped pay for half of her recent surgeries and many of her doctor visits.
“It’s important for me cause if I go to the doctor, have surgery, I won’t have nobody to pay for it. I’d have to use my own money,“ said Bouldin.
Bouldin and her family don’t know what they’d do without Medicaid.
“It’s great to have Medicaid, but if you don’t have it…ain’t no hope,“ said Bouldin. “You just have to pay money out of your own pocket, and pay certain things, and you just have bills piling up, and piling up, and piling up.“
Medicaid is designed for low income Mississippians of all ages of those who are completely disabled and can not work.