NATCHEZ &045; Other than health care providers and the patients themselves, perhaps few know the full effects of the state’s Medicaid crisis more than social service agencies that serve the area’s most needy.

Matilda Stephens has seen the need for Medicaid firsthand &045; both as executive director of the Sunshine Shelter, a short-term home for abused and neglected children, and in years of work with Southwest Mississippi Mental Health.

In her work with SMMH, Stephens spent much time serving those who depend on medication to function in daily life.

&uot;People whose ability to put one foot in front of the other depends on psychotrophic medication,&uot; Stephens said. &uot;A lot of times, people say, ‘They need to get a job. Then they’d be able to get health insurance.’ But that’s not the case with these people.

&uot;The idea that that’s the group that gets thrown away first is disgusting to me.&uot;

Now Stephens heads the Sunshine Shelter, which is mandated by law to provide physical, mental and dental health screenings for each child it receives from the several counties it serves.

&uot;If a child’s Medicaid coverage doesn’t pick up the cost, we’ve got to pay for it,&uot; Stevens said.

This comes at a time when, due to government budget cuts, a slow economy and other factors, nonprofits already have a hard time making ends meet.

Martha Mitternight, executive director Catholic Charities’ Natchez office, said the number of people who come to that nonprofit for help paying for prescriptions had increased significantly in recent years, in part due to Medicaid cuts.

&uot;(The cuts) limit the number of prescriptions they can receive,&uot; Mitternight said. &uot;We’ve seen an increase in individuals coming to us for help on life-or-death prescriptions, on (mental health) medications.&uot;

Mitternight added that, for her, seeing Medicaid hang in the legislative and judicial balance &uot;is so frustrating.&uot;

Progress was still being made as of Monday toward ironing out a solution to the Medicaid crisis, said state Sen. Bob Dearing, D-Natchez.

He maintains that a solution will be worked out one way or another, although he acknowledged it’s difficult to do that without cutting programs such as higher education.

But he also gets calls &045; albeit, not many during this session &045; from health care providers and other constituents concerned about the issue.

Those included a family friend of Dearing’s, a Franklin County resident who called him when her granddaughter had trouble getting needed kidney treatments because the provider wasn’t sure how the Medicaid situation would play out.

The child’s mother, April Tanner of Brookhaven, said Monday her daughter Nevaeh, born four months ago with nonfunctioning kidneys, needs dialysis every day. She also more in-depth treatments at Tulane University in New Orleans every month.

Without Medicaid, she would face a $500 to $700 medical bill from Tulane each month &045; not easy in tough economic times.

&uot;It’s hard to get a child born with a health problem on insurance,&uot; Tanner said. &uot;We really rely on Medicaid.&uot;

There’s also little money at the state level, Dearing said.

&uot;There’s no new money, but we’re scratching our heads hard to find a solution,&uot; Dearing said.