Hospitals thought they’d get $450M in extra money this year. They’re actually getting much less.
Mississippi hospitals, many on the precipice of closure, will be getting much-needed additional money this year. But the amount they receive might be much lower than expected. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid proposed changing the way it calculates some additional funding hospitals in Mississippi receive called “supplemental payments.” One of the funds, called the Mississippi […]
FAQ: What is postpartum Medicaid extension, exactly?
Postpartum Medicaid extension is the talk of Mississippi politics this week, with lawmakers, statewide officials and candidates debating the merits of passing the policy designed to help mothers after they give birth. Lawmakers face a key deadline this week to keep the proposed policy alive, and there is much disagreement about whether it’s right for […]
Mississippi Today investigation examines dangers of one doctor’s reign over child abuse cases
The system for investigating potential child abuse in Mississippi is complex, but one man has a position of particular power: Dr. Scott Benton. Benton, the only board-certified child abuse pediatrician in Mississippi and the 20th person to earn that certification in the United States, launched the Children’s Safe Center at the University of Mississippi Medical […]
House reverses course, names Baptist as state’s burn center
The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to name Mississippi Baptist Medical Center as the home of the state’s next burn center. The move came less than a week after the House Appropriations Committee approved awarding the University of Mississippi Medical Center, which has publicly announced it is establishing a burn center, $4 million for […]
‘Mississippi moms can’t wait.’ Doctors urge legislators to extend postpartum coverage
Flanked by residents and student physicians from all over the state, Mississippi doctors and the Mississippi State Medical Association had one ask for Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn on Wednesday. “We’re simply asking the speaker to allow (Senate Bill) 2212 to be brought for a vote,” said Dr. Anita Henderson, a pediatrician from Hattiesburg. […]
Under a new program, rural hospitals could get more money — but they have to end inpatient care
Thanks to a new federal program, a few rural Mississippi hospitals at risk of closure might have been given a lifeline. The Mississippi Department of Health finalized its rules for “rural emergency hospitals” last week, so Mississippi rural hospitals with less than 50 beds and critical access hospitals can now apply for the designation. Critical […]
House committee approves up to $4 million for UMMC burn center
The House Appropriations committee on Monday passed a bill that would award the University of Mississippi Medical Center up to $4 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding to establish a burn center. UMMC officials have said UMMC is a natural fit for a burn center and that the hospital’s status as a Level 1 trauma […]
Mississippi Medicaid: Gender-affirming care for kids is not ‘safe and effective’
The Mississippi Division of Medicaid is the first state agency to take a public position on gender affirming care to transgender children, stating there is not enough medical literature to support that it is a “safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria.” Drew Snyder, Mississippi Division of Medicaid executive director, gives a presentation during a […]
House addresses Mississippi post-Roe challenges with tax credits
A House committee passed a bill late Wednesday that would create or expand eight tax credits aimed at helping care for poor families, mothers and children in wake of Mississippi’s ban on abortions. “This is designed to help newly pregnant ladies and struggling families,” House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, told members of […]
Feds give Greenville grant for primary care clinic as Delta faces loss of health care services
Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons, far left, with U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, far right, at the presentation of federal funds for a primary care clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Credit: City of Greenville Local leadership in the Delta says the region’s crumbling health system has been abandoned by the state – so they’re figuring out […]