Hyde-Smith stated in the TV spot, which was 30 seconds long, that he is a United States senator and has made it a priority for Mississippians to have access to high quality health care. Espy, who has been focusing on health care for weeks during the campaign, said he wanted to be known for being the Mississippi health care senator. “This is the No. Espy issue 1 It is the No. Espy stated that it is the No. 1 issue in Mississippi. Numerous polls have pointed out the importance of improving health care accessibility and affordability for Mississippians. A Chism Strategies/Millsaps College survey in January found that 70% of Mississippians are concerned about their ability to afford healthcare. The COVID-19 epidemic has made the issue even more important. READ MORE: Cindy Hyde-Smith is holding Us Back: Mississippians attack Mike Espy in a new ad. The future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (often referred to as Obamacare) is at the heart of the health care debate. Hyde-Smith is a close ally to President Donald Trump and supports his efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Trump’s administration will ask the U.S. Supreme Court for a reversal of the signature law on November 10, just one week after the election. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation in Mississippi, 600,000 people have pre-existing medical conditions and are guaranteed coverage under the ACA. An estimated 100,000 also received coverage through the ACA exchange. A large number of those insured were eligible for federal subsidies to pay for their insurance. Espy also supported Mississippi expanding Medicaid as allowed by the ACA to provide health coverage for between 200,000 to 300,000. Espy is also supporting the expansion of Medicaid to include primarily-working Mississippians in jobs that don’t offer employer-sponsored insurance. Mississippi is one of 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid and refuses to provide the 10% match required by states to do so. Espy stated that if elected, he would work with the governor to convince them to join the program where the federal government pays 90% of health care costs. Espy stated that he would work with the U.S. Congress to attempt to get the federal government waive Mississippi’s 10% match if that fails. Many prominent Republicans in Mississippi support Espy’s support for expanding Medicaid, including Lt. Governor. Delbert Hosemann. Hyde-Smith is not taking a position on Medicaid expansion. He said that it was for the state officials and not Mississippi’s federal officials. When Hyde-Smith was asked about the future of people with preexisting conditions if the ACA were repealed, Justin Brasell, a Hyde-Smith campaign spokesperson, said that Trump had repeatedly stated that he would ensure that those with preexisting conditions are covered no matter what the outcome of any litigation. Many health care advocates have expressed doubts about the Senate Republicans’ proposals to cover pre-existing conditions without the ACA. For example, the Kaiser Family Foundation points out that some Senate Republicans’ plans prevent pre-existing condition coverage from insurance policies. However, they do not offer financial supplements to make plans affordable. According to KFF analysis, insurance companies may be able charge more to people for pre-existing conditions. They might also allow for higher premiums for women than men. The president was asked Tuesday about his plans to replace the ACA. Although he said he had a plan to replace the ACA, he did not provide details beyond saying that it was better than the ACA. Hyde Smith’s campaign advertisement stated that he had a plan. However, he did not offer any details other than to say that he would bring more support to rural hospitals. According to a January article by the Mississippi Rural Health Care Association, at least six of Mississippi’s rural hospitals have been closed in recent years. Other Mississippi hospitals are facing bankruptcy or possible closure. The Mississippi Hospital Association presented a plan for expanding Medicaid that hospital officials claimed would benefit the state’s hospitals. However, it was rejected by state leaders.