Mississippi Governor Vetoes Medicaid Budget, Saying Funds Too Little

Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D) on April 9 vetoed the state's Medicaid budget, saying that the funding recently approved by state legislators for the fiscal year beginning July 1 is not enough to meet the state's needs, the AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. In his veto message, Musgrove said, "The consequences for health care will be devastating if no adjustments in the (fiscal year) 2003 budget for Medicaid are made" (Wagster, AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal, 4/10). On April 1, the state Legislature voted to appropriate $415 million in state funds for Medicaid, nearly $121 million less than the amount Medicaid officials say is required (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 4/2). Musgrove had warned that if legislators did not appropriate more money for the program, 13,000 Medicaid beneficiaries would no longer be able to receive care in nursing homes, and thousands more beneficiaries would lose their prescription drug benefits. But Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck (D) and House Speaker Tim Ford (D) issued a joint memorandum saying Musgrove is "conducting a campaign of fear" and calling on lawmakers to override the governor's veto, which would require a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers. Musgrove also had said that if legislators gave him "broad authority" to reorganize the Medicaid program, he would not veto the budget. However, state lawmakers did not afford the governor that power (Branson, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 4/9). Lawmakers will return to the state Capitol April 12 to consider overriding the veto (AP/Memphis Commercial Appeal, 4/10).