JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi Senate Medicaid expansion conferees sent the House a counteroffer on a Medicaid expansion plan.

The Senate has budged on their federal poverty limit percentage, increasing from 99% to the full 138%.

The conferees sent two counteroffers to the House.

One was the original Medicaid “lite” plan that passed in the Senate earlier this year. The other was a compromise that was essentially the same one House conferees offered in the first public meeting on Tuesday but without a “non-negotiable” work requirement. It would cover those making up to 138% of the federal poverty level.

Like the House compromise, Mississippians between 0% and 99% of the federal poverty level would be covered through Medicaid. Those between 100% and 138% of the federal poverty level would stay on the federal insurance exchange, and the state would pay 10% of insurance costs.

“The House asked the Senate to come to the table with a plan which included Mississippians up to 138% of the federal poverty level to pull down the 90% match from the federal government. The hybrid plan we submitted to the House does just that, or we offer the original Senate version for consideration,” said State Senator Kevin Blackwell (R-District 19).

The House can either agree and sign on to one of these offers, amend one of them or decline both offers.