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Phil Bryant on Health Care
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Medicaid patients are responsible for bad choices
Poor health choices have resulted in higher mortality rates and treatment of even more disabling illnesses. Consequently, Medicaid costs have continued to increase, straining our state and federal budgets. Frankly, we have spent far too many years
believing that funding for Medicaid is unlimited and should be unquestioned. We must change that way of thinking. We must also insist that positive health care outcomes be the first responsibility of the Medicaid recipients.
As you know, I have requested a workforce requirement for able-bodied adults from the Center of Medicaid and Medicare Services. This is not, as some would have you believe, a punitive action aimed at recipients.
It will actually help this population reap the rewards of a good job, and one day receive health care coverage from their employer, not the state or federal government.
Source: 2018 Mississippi State of the State address
, Jan 9, 2018
The feds won't pay for their share of Medicaid expansion
[Democratic opponent Robert] Gray has slammed Bryant's policies, including the governor's resistance to Medicaid expansion, which the Affordable Care Act permits states to do, with the federal government paying for the bulk of it.Bryant has said that
he does not believe the Obama administration will pay for the feds' end of Medicaid expansion and, thus, in his logic, leaving Mississippi taxpayers on the hook for the cost of providing health insurance for 300,000 people.
Source: Jackson Free Press on 2015 Mississippi gubernatorial race
, Oct 28, 2015
ObamaCare adds 300,000 entitlements; get people off Medicaid
The Affordable Care Act [has a large] potential impact on Mississippi. Any law that will add 300,000 Mississippians to a federal entitlement program partially funded by the state will either result in a huge tax increase or drastic cuts to education,
public safety, job creation and other budgets. It will leave our children and grandchildren with ballooning federal debt. Instead of assuming enormous costs that we cannot afford, I would suggest that we spend our time and efforts in finding good
jobs for all Mississippians. We should be compassionate by lowering our Medicaid population through economic growth, personal responsibility, and providing more access to private sector health care.
To help us further develop our medical industry and identify ways to improve our personal health, I am pleased to announce the formation of the Mississippi Health Care Solutions Institute.
Source: 2013 State of the State address to Mississippi Legislature
, Jan 22, 2013
Expand MS School of Medicine; 1,000 new doctors by 2025
One essential health care step we must take is increasing the number of doctors in Mississippi. We know that physicians create about $2 million in economic impact in their communities, including the people they hire and the equipment and supplies they
buy to run their offices. Having more providers will create better health care access for Mississippians, thereby lowering the cost of health care.Just this month, I joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center to break ground on a
new expansion of the School of Medicine. With the addition of new classrooms and laboratories, each incoming class of medical students will increase to more than 160. This means Mississippi will graduate more doctors.
The university estimates that by
2025, an expanded medical school would produce 1,000 new physicians and support more than 19,000 new jobs. I ask the Legislature to consider the impact of this medical school on our state and support its growth.
Source: 2013 State of the State address to Mississippi Legislature
, Jan 22, 2013
Fight Obamacare; support insurance exchanges
As your Governor, I will:- Fight "Obamacare" and any other unfunded mandates. I will resist all federal unfunded mandates and laws, which I believe are unconstitutional.
- Support Insurance Exchanges; allow consumers and businesses to search
for and purchase health insurance in a competitive market. This should not be a subsidy, but a market-based system to combine purchasing power. There should also be no restrictions for purchasing insurance across state borders.
Source: MS Governor campaign 2011 website philbryant.com, "Vision"
, May 3, 2011
Page last updated: Apr 18, 2020
