Did you know that when someone goes into a nursing home it costs three times more than providing care for that person at home? If given a choice, more Mississippians would choose to receive care at home rather than in a nursing home.

Your state legislator has the power to give you a choice in where you and your loved ones go by supporting budget rebalancing for home- and community-based services. Rebalancing the state’s Medicaid budget for more home- and community-based services requires no extra taxes.

In fact, it’s a wiser use of your taxpayer dollars. Did you know that every year the state of Mississippi spends about $68,000 to keep a person in a nursing home? Mississippi spends only 11 percent of its annual Medicaid budget on home- and community-based services, while the national average is 25 percent.

Call your state legislators and tell them to support rebalancing Medicaid to offer more home- and community-based services. Now that you know how, you can make a difference. Let’s bring home those who matter most.

John Smith

Vicksburg president

Mississippi AARP

Vicksburg