Pediatrician: Why cut Medicaid if we want healthier kids?

Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.

I’m a retired pediatrician and current medical educator. I’ve dedicated my life to caring for patients, training the next generation of physicians and advocating for healthcare access.

I also happen to live with a disability and use a wheelchair. For me, Medicaid is much more than a policy issue—it’s personal.

Despite the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the most significant reductions in Medicaid funding will not take effect for at least two years, giving Congress an opportunity to correct its own mistake. Congress should mitigate the impacts of this legisl