Some area residents say they cannot live worthwhile lives ifGov. Haley Barbour’s Medicaid cuts go through as approved by thelegislature.

Although Medicare provides more home health, days in thehospital and other benefits, it is Medicaid’s prescription planthey need most, they say.

Gail Herring of McCall Creek said her income is fixed at $750per month. Her medications alone cost $700.

“How am I supposed to eat, and how am I supposed to live?” shesaid. “I can live without my medications, but I won’t livewell.”

Herring said she suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and also hasheart problems.

“This is the only way I’ve lived for the past eight years,” shesaid. “The medications keep me functioning.”

Herring said she had to leave the work force eight years agobecause the arthritis interfered with her ability to do herjob.

A single rheumatoid arthritis treatment costs $6,000, Herringsaid, and Medicare does cover 80 percent of that cost. WithoutMedicaid to cover the difference, however, she said she’ll have toforego the treatments.

“That still leaves me with a big bill I don’t know how I wouldpay,” she said. “I don’t expect a full ride, but I also don’t thinkI should have to sit here unable to do anything because I can’tafford the medication.”

Herring said she is fortunate that she recently had surgerywhile still covered by the program. Prior to the surgery, she said,she was taking 17 different medications. That number has nowdropped by half.

“There’s no way I could have even considered getting mymedications if this had happened before my surgery,” she said. “Ittakes my entire income just to purchase what I have to havenow.”

For others, Medicaid was just beginning to provide some reliefwhen the Poverty Level Aged and Disabled plan was phased out.

Rosie Banks of Brookhaven said she joined the Medicaid programjust in time to be cut.

“It took me a long time to even get on Medicaid, and then twomonths later I get this termination letter,” she said. “When Ifinish paying for utilities I have nothing left.”

And, she said, she can’t afford to get insurance to help withprescription costs because the premiums are high with all herpreexisting medical conditions.

“I’m scared. I don’t know what to do now,” she said.

The situation is even worse for couples who suddenly findthemselves bereft of help.

Billy and Audrey Burns of Wesson are both disabled and on afixed income of $1,200 per month combined. They both receivedletters terminating them from the Medicaid program.

Both have received their Medicare Prescription Drug Cards butclaim they are of little help. A treatment for one of them costmore than $18,000 a year.

“They were going to pay $1,800 of that,” Audrey Burns said. “Itdoes me no good to apply for it.”

They are both on Rheumacaid, a drip for rheumatoid arthritisthat has allowed them some freedom of movement. At $2,900 everyfive weeks, they doubt they can continue to take it — even withMedicare covering 80 percent of it.

“(Barbour) says Medicare will take care of it, but it’s nottaking care of it,” Audrey Burns said, crying. “The discount cardpays 5-10 percent of the medications. What good is it? I know it’shard to come up with the money, but it’s only 18 more months theywould have to pay for it.”

The discount cards were issued to cover a period of time betweenthe state cutting the Poverty Level Aged and Disabled from theMedicaid rolls until the federal Medicare Reform Act of 2004 takeseffect on Jan. 1, 2006.

In some cases the loss the prescription help can mean life anddeath, said Carl Guess of Brookhaven.

His wife, Ruby, suffers from several ailments and themedications are costly. One prescription alone is $660 per month,and she has at least four others that cost over $100 each. Hermedications alone cost more than $1,300 a month, which is more thantheir combined income.

Carl Guess, who has cerebral palsy, said his medications addanother $400 a month to the total.

“It’s going to hit us pretty hard,” Carl Guess said. “I’m notgoing to exaggerate. I don’t have to.”

The fortunate ones, Carl Guess said, have children and otherrelatives who can assist them.

“It’s not fair to them, but at least they are there and canhelp. Some of us don’t have children or relatives who can help.And, we’re at the age we should be trying to help our parentsthrough this, but with our own situation we’re unable to dothat.”

Ruby Guess’s most expensive medication protects her from theravages of an infection for which she is a carrier. It has nocure.

“If she gets off her medicine for even a few days, she’s on anIV in the hospital for 4-6 weeks,” he said.

To further aggravate the situation, he said, the IVs are not anoption without Medicaid. Medicare will pay for the fluid used inthe IV, but not the medication the fluid is used to carry.

“This really is into the realm of potentially affecting herlife,” he said. “We can’t afford the medication; they can’t keepher in the hospital forever and it would too expensive anyway.She’s spent time in a nursing home before and, at age 42, refusesto ever return to one, even if that were an option. She said shewould rather die. What are our options? Where does that leaveus?”