[11/16/01]Gov. Ronnie Musgrove said Thursday that investing money now from the state’s tobacco settlement fund will lead to a higher quality of life for Mississippians in the future.

Musgrove, state legislators and national policy experts were in Vicksburg Thursday to discuss the future of Mississippi’s health care policy. The meeting was the first of nine planned across the state this year and sponsored by the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program. It was sponsored locally by the Warren-Yazoo Mental Health Service.

“Why do you think some states have a higher quality of life?” Musgrove asked. “They started earlier investing dollars into things like health care.”

Musgrove touted his health care plan, which proposes taking $100 million in tobacco settlement money each year for health care programs. Combined with federal matching dollars, Musgrove’s program would designate $400 million for health care during the next fiscal year.

New Jersey and Arizona have used tobacco settlement money for health care programs.

Rep. George Flaggs, a Democrat from Vicksburg who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, disagreed with using tobacco money for health care. “The governor said correct me if I’m wrong’ I will,” Flaggs said. “How many of you balance your checkbook out of your savings? It doesn’t work.”

Flaggs said he wants to fund health care as badly as the governor does, but not with tobacco money. “We’re going to pay for it differently,” he said.

Mississippi receives $210 million a year from a settlement with tobacco companies. All of that money goes into a trust fund. Next year, Mississippi will receive $30 million less than this year. Legislators are discussing how to make up the potential shortage.

Flaggs said his committee is in executive session discussing the matter right now, but that “after Nov. 27 we’ll tell you how we plan to do it, and not use tobacco money, and not raise taxes 1 cent.”

Musgrove argued that using tobacco money for health care is more responsible than letting it sit. “Which is the bigger benefit?” he asked. “Having a lot of money in the trust fund, or saying we have turned those dollars into better health?”

Legislators will address Musgrove’s plan when they convene in January.

Donna Cohen Ross, director of outreach for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, stressed the need for Mississippi to expand health coverage in the face of an economic downturn.

Ross explained that Musgrove’s plan calls for several waiver items specific health care programs that require federal approval and use federal funds. “The governor proposed a list of specific waiver items,” she said. “What I’m saying is that a parent insurance coverage waiver should be on that list.”.

If parents are covered, then statistically children are better covered as well, she said.

The forum, Solutions for the Uninsured, also proposed options for Mississippi’s uninsured women and children. Currently, 52 percent of Mississippi’s 776,000 children are enrolled in Medicaid or the Child Health Insurance Program. The speakers encouraged Mississippians to look into their health care options and to advocate their views to legislators.

“Our purpose is to create a forum of information, knowledge and education,” said Steve Roark, executive director of Warren-Yazoo Mental Health.

“What this is really all about is the people who are less fortunate,” said Mayor Laurence Leyens. He echoed Musgrove’s desire for all Mississippians to have access to health care. “We have to encourage people to get into the system.”