Mississippi agrees to restore Medicaid benefits to 50,000

After much legal wrangling, Mississippi state officials agreed last week to reinstate benefits to more than 50,000 Mississippians who were eliminated from the Medicaid rolls during budget cutbacks.

Mississippi lawmakers aiming at reducing Medicaid spending earlier this year decided to cut benefits for many elderly or disabled in the state. However, this recent turn of events was brought about by lawsuit filed by patients sued. Under the settlement, approved by a judge, the state has agreed to restore Medicaid coverage for those originally cut from the Medicaid rolls until Jan. 31, 2005.

Gov. Haley Barbour (R) had pushed for the cuts saying that recipients who lost coverage would receive comparable care under Medicare.