NATCHEZ — State officials have nine days to find a solution before the Mississippi Medicaid program ceases to exist, and the area’s local representatives say they’re all eager to find some solution to save the health care program.

During the legislative session earlier in the year, state leaders came to a standstill about the reauthorization and funding of Medicaid after Democrats refused to pass a bill that did not include an expansion of the program in line with the Affordable Care Act.

While Gov. Phil Bryant had previously said he would keep the program going by executive order, state Attorney General Jim Hood released an opinion Wednesday that the program requires legislative approval.

But the governor will have to call a special session for that to happen. Reps. Robert Johnson (D-Natchez), Sam Mims (R-McComb) and Angela Cockerham (D-Magnolia) and Sen. Kelvin Butler (D-Magnolia) all said they expect a special session to be called sometime next week.

Johnson said he has traveled to Washington, D.C., and met with the Department of Health and Human Services and along with other legislators has developed plan that would take the federal government’s funding for the state’s expansion and use it to develop a premium assistance program.

“We want to take that money and buy insurance plans for people who qualify for Medicaid but are working people,” Johnson said. “We took that plan to the governor, and he did not seem receptive to it, but we are continuing to work and talk to him about something we can come up with, something we can all agree on.”

House Democrats are not planning to hold the ultimate reauthorization of the program hostage based on expanded coverage, Johnson said. Instead, the representative said he wants to see a full, robust debate about expansion.

“At the end of the day, all we are asking is that we will have a full examination of where we need to go as a state with Medicaid — nobody has ever said if we don’t get expansion we won’t reauthorize it,” he said. “Why would anybody be afraid of doing what we are elected to do, that is fully debating and voting on every issue. If we get a chance to at least talk about it, reauthorization is a done deal, expansion or not.”

Mims said he believes the state needs to continue to provide assistance to the 700,000 already on the Medicaid rolls, but that the state cannot afford to expand an additional 300,000 patients under the Affordable Care Act.

“We would have a million people on Medicaid — a third of our population — and I think it is important for us to take a step back and realize this is the wrong approach,” Mims said. “We need to find these 300,000 people a new job, a new trade and more education so they won’t be dependent on Medicaid and the federal government.”

While the federal government will fund the Medicaid expansion for the first three years, Mims said after that states would have to start funding a portion of the expansion. Mississippi’s expansion would cost between $125 and $150 million, he said.

“After Mississippi taxpayers start picking up a percentage of that (expansion), you are looking at the largest tax increase ever and the most drastic cuts to state government ever,” Mims said.

Both Mims and Johnson said Medicaid expansion is vital not only to patients, but to county hospitals and health care workers.

Cockerham said she has gotten many calls from her constituents who were worried about the program’s continued existence. While Cockerham said she would support expansion, she was unsure if it would even be up for discussion.

“The governor is the one who can call the special session, and he is the one who determines the call, so I don’t know if (expansion) is on the table or not,” she said.

“I think it would be good for the state; however I think that concerns that all the parties have need to be addressed and I think it needs to be a plan that is tailored for Mississippi and for Mississippians.”

Butler said he is hoping for an expansion but wants to ensure those already covered by Medicaid continue to receive assistance. With many hospitals in the state supporting the expansion, the senator said he hopes Bryant is feeling pressure from every angle.

“The governor is unwilling to be reasonable and look at the real numbers and the benefits of expanding Medicaid — we are talking about job creation — but most important thing is being able to put folks on health care who don’t currently have it,” Butler said.

“I know when you make a mark in the sand it is hard to go back and clear it out, but at the end of the day I hope (Bryant) looks at the real facts, the real figures.”

Sen. Melanie Sojourner (R — Natchez) did not return a phone call Thursday. When speaking to the Natchez Rotary Club Wednesday afternoon, however, Sojourner said she would be meeting with other officials in Jackson to discuss the Medicaid issue.