Ellington

(Jackson, Miss.) -- Saying that a litigation (sic) had confused 50,000 Mississippi Medicaid recipients beyond repair, Governor Haley Barbour said today he would postpone the state's efforts to transition those recipients to Medicare and look to Medicaid reform opponents to come up with the $100 million needed for Mississippi's cash-strapped Medicaid program if the transition does not go into effect.

The State of Mississippi and attorneys representing PLAD (Poverty Level Aged and Disabled) recipients reached an agreement today that would allow those recipients to continue to receive Medicaid benefits until January 31, 2005. The Governor said the new January timetable would allow the Legislature to act on the issue and decide how to fund Mississippi's Medicaid program which has more than doubled in cost in five years and projects large deficits during the upcoming fiscal year.

Here's the money quote:

"In June, I delayed the transition date for this reform by three months to give our recipients enrollment assistance and time to prepare," said Governor Barbour. "Now this litigation has thrown our carefully planned transition into chaos. I do not want more unnecessary confusion for these recipients."