In closing days of Mississippi governor’s race, candidates clash over how to fund health care

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves says he is working to ease financial problems for struggling hospitals. But the Democratic nominee for governor, Brandon Presley, says Reeves is hurting the state by refusing to expand Medicaid. In the final days before the Nov. 7 general election, both candidates spoke to hundreds of business people Thursday during Hobnob, a social event hosted by the state chamber of commerce. Reeves proposes having hospitals pay higher taxes to draw more federal Medicaid money. Presley says Mississippi is losing $1 billion a year in federal funding by not offering Medicaid to people working low-paid jobs without private insurance.