Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and House Democratic leaders, namely House Speaker Billy McCoy, fought over plenty of things in 2008.

None of those hit closer to home than Medicaid.

As state leaders played political football with Medicaid’s $90 million shortfall, which didn’t materialize overnight, local hospitals — and the people who use them — worried about how the politics might affect them.

Lawmakers are expected to vote on a tax increase on cigarettes, something House Democrats believe should be used to fund Medicaid’s shortfall, early in 2009.

If passed, the money generated from that increase could also be up for grabs for other state agencies.