Mississippi Considers Requiring Job Training For Some On Medicaid

Mandate requires approval by the federal government

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Medicaid is considering a job training requirement for some able-bodied adults on the program.

Medicaid is a health insurance program paid by federal and state money. It covers the needy, aged, blind and disabled, and low-income families with children.

Nearly 706,000 Mississippi residents were enrolled in Medicaid last month — about 24 percent of the state's population.

Medicaid spokeswoman Erin Barham says because of some exemptions in the way a proposal is written, about 15,000 to 20,000 low-income parents or caregiver relatives could be affected by the job training mandate. It requires approval by the federal government.

A state application says the training could reduce Medicaid expenses by helping people find jobs with health coverage.

Public hearings about the proposal are being held Wednesday and Friday in Jackson.

-By Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press