Mississipi Governor Calls For Better Medicaid Management

By Rachel Christiansen

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour emphasized the need for states to have greater control over their Medicaid programs during an appearance Tuesday before the Federation of American Hospitals conference in Washington, D.C.

Barbour boasted that his state was able to significantly improve its program by strictly enforcing the eligibility requirements and thus reducing the programs’ margin of error to less than half of the national average.

If the federal government were to follow this model in its approach to Medicare, Barbour said, it would save taxpayers $50 billion dollars.

“Forgive me if I think the people that work hard… deserve not to be forced to pay for the health care for the people who can work but choose not to,” Barbour said.

Barbour, a former RNC chair, is rumored to be considering a 2012 run for the White House.