Mississippi Medicaid Requests $179M State Funding Increase
Mississippi's Division of Medicaid asked lawmakers for a roughly $179 million state funding increase for the fiscal year beginning July 2027, a 15% rise but far smaller than last year's nearly $390 million initial request. The agency also anticipates a $34 million shortfall in the current fiscal year. Executive Director Cindy Bradshaw told the Joint Legislative Budget Committee the figure will likely change, noting a slight federal matching-rate increase is expected to reduce the request by about $25 million. The agency's total projected budget, including federal funds, is $9.4 billion; cost-containment efforts include contractor and long-term care audits, prior authorization reviews, and reduced managed care profit margins. Lawmakers will issue budget recommendations in December ahead of the 2027 legislative session.