Dowdy calls for Barbour to take action on Medicaid

By Staff
August 15,2004
By Georgia E. Frye/staff writer
State Democratic Party chairman Wayne Dowdy wants Gov. Haley Barbour to call a special session immediately to rescind the Medicaid cuts that are set to take effect next month.
Dowdy said he believes that removing 65,000 Mississippians from Medicaid in an attempt to shift prescription drug costs to the federal Medicare program may leave some with no means of buying their medications.
Dowdy, from McComb, spoke to about 100 local Democrats at a news conference Saturday at Meridian's Highland Park. State Sen. Gloria Williamson, D-Philadelphia, attended the meeting along with Melba B. Clark, chairman of the Lauderdale County Democratic Executive Committee, and other Democratic leaders from Neshoba, Kemper, Clarke and Newton counties.
Snowden targeted
Barbour wasn't the only person Dowdy targeted Saturday. Dowdy said he also will run radio ads beginning next week in Corinth and Meridian that say state Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, has been a faithful supporter of Barbour's Medicaid cuts and was instrumental in their passage.
Last week, the Mississippi Democratic Party began buying radio ads some on stations owned by Dowdy's brother criticizing four Republican lawmakers. The targets included Snowden and Sens. Tommy Robertson of Moss Point, Travis Little of Corinth and Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo.
The Democrats' ads claim the four Republicans were instrumental in passage of the Medicaid changes and demand cancellation of the reforms or a delay in the Sept. 15 implementation date.
But Snowden said that claiming he was instrumental in passing the Medicaid cuts "is silly."
Medicaid changes
The changes in coverage are expected to affect about 65,000 Mississippians who rely on the Poverty Level Aged or Disabled (PLAD) program for prescription drugs. About 60,000 of them will be covered by the federally funded Medicare program, officials say.
Federal law requires all states to shift the PLAD group those between 100 percent and 135 percent of the federal poverty level who also qualify for Medicare to Medicare by Jan. 1, 2006, or face the possibility of stiff financial penalties from the federal government.
John Arledge, deputy chief of staff for Gov. Barbour, said Saturday that the governor has no intentions of calling a special session at this time.
Arledge said the governor did not wait until closer to the 2006 deadline to remove those eligible for Medicare from Medicaid because "the longer we wait, the less we save and the less we save the more likely it becomes that our vital Medicaid program goes broke."
Alternative coverage
Arledge said each of the 65,000 Mississippians, or 6 percent of those on Medicaid, were chosen for removal because they qualify for alternative coverage.
But that isn't much comfort to Clarice Parnell, 70, of Meridian, who attended the Saturday news conference.
Parnell said she is afraid that if she is dropped from Medicaid she won't be able to afford the four prescription drugs she takes each day to stay alive.
Parnell said just one of her prescriptions costs more than $100 a month. That's why Dowdy and other state Democrats are calling for a special session.
But, Dowdy said he doesn't know if the governor will listen or even consider the special session.