From the Waiting Room to the Capitol Rotunda: Rallying for Medicaid Expansion
Rooted Editor Shira Muroff on advocating for Mississippi Medicaid expansion while navigating the absurdity of the American healthcare system.
Four months after the failure of the Mississippi Legislature to pass Medicaid expansion, Rooted Editor Shira Muroff reflects on her experience organizing for expansion this spring, and how she and organizers plan to sustain this energy in order to successfully advocate for vital healthcare expansion across our state. What would Medicaid Expansion mean for you? Let us know in the comments.
“If I tripped over this tiny railing, I wouldn't have enough insurance to cover all of the expenses.” This was my very first thought when I walked into the House Gallery of the Mississippi State Capitol for the first time.
In my eight years as a Mississippian, I have spent a lot of time on the Capitol’s outdoor Rocky-style steps, participating in rallies for causes I’m passionate about, but I had never actually entered inside until this past April.
This spring, I braved the precipitous Capitol stairs because Mississippi got closer than ever to expanding Medicaid statewide. Organizers and healthcare advocates have been trying to make this a reality for a long time, and this year there was the possibility that we could have given health insurance coverage to 200,000 more Mississippians (that’s almost 7% of the state). Medicaid expansion could have brought in more than a billion dollars in federal money–which would be pretty significant considering our state budget is under $8 billion. That’s money that would have helped not only individuals, but also the rural hospitals that are struggling to stay open and serve their local communities.
As someone with chronic pain who was recently told that cold plunging might “solve some of my problems”—an unhelpful suggestion since I can’t afford the gym membership that would include a cold plunge—this is an issue I feel strongly about. Thanks to some friends and coworkers showing me the ropes (there are a lot of steps in that building), I was able to join the interfaith organizers of Working Together Mississippi during their final four weeks of this year’s push to bring about a full Medicaid expansion.
In mid-April, we spent a day at the Capitol, which included my first visit to the Senate chamber gallery, and my not-first-at-all rally on the south steps of the Capitol.
In a just world, health insurance would not be tied to employment, but I won’t deny the luck I’ve had under our current system. Still, I’ve had to jump through hoops navigating our healthcare system, crossing my fingers until I successfully get a medical appointment and then squinting when a bill comes in the mail (yes, some offices still don’t have online billing).
While I’ve found great community in many protests on those steps, this one was especially meaningful. Folks from all over the state—Tupelo! Biloxi! Madison!—filled the steps as the podium was set up. Hands were outstretched as people tried not to slip while ascending the marble steps. A school bus full of children added some youthful excitement to the crowd. There was a particular energy that only a weekday protest can bring, one where you know that there are actually legislative staff inside noticing your presence, unlike a weekend rally at an empty Capitol.
Faith leaders from around the state shared how their religious traditions are in fact aligned with Medicaid expansion, and they weren’t afraid to call out politicians and constituents abstaining from that holy work in their own backyards. People need to have access to healthcare to be able to concentrate on their family, friends, and job. Studies show that folks without health insurance put off getting health screenings, and we also know what a surprise emergency room bill can do to a person’s wallet—if fixing this pressing issue isn’t considered “loving your neighbor as yourself,” then I don’t know what is.
Of course, I felt the usual irony that we were fighting for a progressive cause in front of the Monument to Women of the Confederacy statue. Erected in 1917, it is a reminder of the Lost Cause narrative that persists today, as Mississippi’s governor and many Republican state legislators lob their prideful and paper thin arguments against expansion.
As I walked away from the rally, buoyed with hope, a local friend remarked that events like this are what she loves most about our local community, and I couldn’t agree more.
As the month went on, I popped back into the seats of the Senate and House hallways and galleries whenever I heard from the lead Working Together Mississippi organizers that additional bodies in the room could make a difference. Tabling during my college sorority days taught me how to stare anyone (even government officials) in the eye as they walked past me, making them just uncomfortable enough to say hi to me, a complete stranger. We also taped some letters on the office doors of senators and representatives, thanking some for their work to expand Medicaid, and urging others to keep negotiating. The next day our efforts were even turned into an editorial cartoon when legislators decided to bar local citizens from accessing the hallway with some of their offices!
In my letters to legislators, I reminded them that Medicaid expansion is just the first step in improving our healthcare system in the state and country.
Since graduating from college, I have been lucky to have had full-time work that includes health insurance. In a just world, health insurance would not be tied to employment, but I won’t deny the luck I’ve had under our current system. Still, I’ve had to jump through hoops navigating our healthcare system, crossing my fingers until I successfully get a medical appointment and then squinting when a bill comes in the mail (yes, some offices still don’t have online billing).
According to one Mississippi politician’s tweet this spring, we wouldn’t need Medicaid expansion if people exercised more and ate healthier. But does an apple a day keep the doctor away when you’re allergic to apples?
Besides being offered cold plunging as a panacea to chronic pain, here are some of the nonsensical things I’ve been told or asked recently by medical professionals:
If I exercise more, it will make chronic pain go away. But what if exercise causes that pain?
I should exercise on a stationary bike (after I’ve already told a doctor that I don’t have the money for a gym membership).
If I’ve heard of quinoa and arugula to help me lose weight to help with the chronic pain (I’ve been vegetarian for almost a decade).
I should take preventative migraine medicine regularly. This medicine is not covered by insurance, so I only have five sample pills floating around my house. So no, I don’t take them regularly.
I’m basically shit out of luck to think that those migraine meds will ever get covered by BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi.
Insurance will allow me a sixteen-day supply of a medication to last me a month…when the prescription says to take one a day. When was the last time that a month had sixteen days?
According to one Mississippi politician’s tweet this spring, we wouldn’t need Medicaid expansion if people exercised more and ate healthier. But does an apple a day keep the doctor away when you’re allergic to apples? Every time I go see some of my specialists, a Bible quote graces whatever exam room I’m waiting in, as if my problems are beyond the help of medical professionals. I don’t need to be told to have a blessed day while trying to deal with migraines, but c’est la vie.
If I’m dealing with all of that while insured, think of how much worse it is for uninsured folks across the state! And even for low-income folks who are insured, we recently learned that rates are going to jump in 2026.
It was hard to see the work that individuals and organizations put into Medicaid expansion get stalled when the bill died due to disagreements surrounding the need for Medicaid recipients to work. While the original plan by the House did not have a work requirement, the Senate plan that was staunchly in favor of maintaining a work requirement would never have been approved by the federal government (based on precedent in other states). Once both chambers compromised on different issues and the House agreed to a work requirement, the sticking point was that the Senate would not compromise for a version where Medicaid could go into place while the state fought in the courts for the right to have a work requirement. That brought the negotiation to a standstill, because a plan with a work requirement would just be Medicaid in name only—it would never be allowed to go into effect by the federal government. The federal government (under either Biden or Trump) hasn’t accepted waivers from any state who wanted a work requirement in this model.
When it’s that close, and you’ve thought of what could have been, it’s not a great feeling! I found out that Medicaid expansion was dead while obsessively refreshing social media feeds at work. However, by that evening I felt a bit less doom when I heard from the organizers that had been doing this work. They were obviously disappointed, but they rightfully pointed out how significant it was that the plan got this close! It showed that it was an issue that Mississippians care about, and it will be brought back to the floor next year.
We can already think about how we’ll advocate for it in next year’s legislative session, but in the meantime, here are some things you can do:
Keep talking to people about what a difference this could make for our state!
Tell your legislators what expanding Medicaid would mean for you and your community. Talk to your family, and have your family talk to their legislators.
Encourage your faith community to get involved with Working Together Mississippi!
Consider politicians’ stances on healthcare reform when you vote this November!
As the Covid pandemic nears its five year anniversary and cases once again are on the rise, continue (or restart) wearing a KN95 or N95 mask in public.
And show up to the Capitol next year; the short railing in the House gallery is not as intimidating as it seems.
This is horrific. Honestly, I just do not understand how the GOP wraps itself with the flag and claim to be Christians when they are just so downright MEAN to people. We are the only "first world" country that doesn't have universal health care. Inhumane.
That was such a devastating, heartless, and irrational decision by our legislators! Thank you for reminding all of us what an important issue this is.