Embroiled over the debate regarding Medicaid expansion, Mississippi state legislators adjourned in April sans a Medicaid budget, leaving the program's existing 700,000 and potential 300,000 enrollees at risk of seeing the program go belly up July 1, according to a report by Politico.
Democrats in the Republican-controlled state legislature say they want to vote on the expansion first with reauthorization of the program in its current state as a fallback. Republicans prefer reaching a deal on an expansionless Medicaid budget, then putting it to a vote, according to the report.
Some expect Gov. Phil Bryant (R), who opposes expansion, will call a special legislative session to reauthorize Medicaid, but the parties are still divisive. A spokeswoman for the governor said the governor would issue an executive order to fund the program, but Democrats question whether he has the authority to do so.
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