Some 21 million Americans could lose health insurance if the Trump administration is successful in having the Affordable Care Act ruled unconstitutional. And as MPB’s Alexandra Watts reports the Mississippi Delta faces the greatest risk.
The Trump administration is joining a lawsuit brought on by multiple states to strike down the Affordable Care Act. The administration argues that if one part of the act is unconstitutional, the whole act is.
Mississippi Second District Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson said people in the Delta districts he serves would be some of the people affected the most if the law is struck down.
“Every county in the Mississippi Delta is medically underserved," he said. "That means that we don’t have enough health professionals to go around. And because we don’t, health care is a real challenge for us. Now under the Affordable Care Act, though. When you have coverage, you have the ability to pay.”
Another healthcare issue impacting Delta residents is hospital closures.
Consulting firm Navigant finds that almost half of rural hospitals in Mississippi risk closing.
State Senator Derrick Simmons represents Washington, Bolivar and Coahoma counties.
“We are experiencing a lot of financial problems with our hospitals statewide, but our rural hospitals are hurting more than our urban hospitals," he said.
The case will be heard by The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in July in New Orleans.
