Mississippi Senate votes against expanding Medicaid

The Mississippi Senate has voted twice against expanding Medicaid to people who work low-wage jobs without insurance.

Both votes fell along party lines. Democrats in the minority voted in favor of expansion. Republicans in the majority voted against it.

Republican-led Mississippi is one of 12 states that have not taken the option to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare overhaul law signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010.

Healthcare advocates say Mississippi has lost billions of dollars by not extending Medicaid eligibility to about 300,000 people working low-wage jobs without health insurance.