Mississippians can soon take free Uber rides to health department appointments
Mississippians in counties with Uber services can request free rides to their county health department appointments starting next month. As the state’s health care crisis persists and Mississippians may increasingly rely on county health departments for care, the new program is aimed at making transportation more accessible for rural Mississippians, and in turn, decreasing “no […]
Medicaid drops another 13,000 Mississippians as agency’s backlog snowballs
Nearly 13,000 Mississippians were kicked from Medicaid’s rolls in September during the most recent batch of disenrollments, while the agency’s backlog grows. The latest numbers bring the state’s total disenrollments to 81,454 people, most of whom were dropped for paperwork issues, not because they were found to be ineligible. Medicaid divisions all over the country […]
Rural Delta counties have highest infant mortality rates in state, new report shows
Every region in Mississippi ranked higher in infant mortality than the national average of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the state’s 2021 Mississippi Infant Mortality Report released last week. This report comes one month after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that Mississippi’s infant mortality rate reached a […]
Health care leaders to advocate for Medicaid expansion at free summit in Jackson
An event aimed at improving health care and expanding Medicaid in Mississippi is making its way to Jackson Thursday. Together for Hope, a nonprofit working with the poorest counties in America, teamed up with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in Alabama and Mississippi this year to host “Better Health Summits” throughout the two […]
Legislators passed a bill that promised millions to hospitals. Months later, apparently only a third qualify.
Months after the Legislature passed a law directing millions to Mississippi’s struggling hospitals, not one has received that money, and far fewer than predicted will receive any money at all. That’s because lawmakers erred in writing the statute, according to State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney. Legislators in February established the Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant […]
Mississippi has one of the country’s highest rates of people without health insurance
Mississippi is one of the most uninsured states in America, according to new data. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, released last month, shows that in 2022, Mississippi had one of the highest percentages of people without health insurance coverage in the country, along with Alaska, Wyoming, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Oklahoma, Georgia and Florida. […]
Reeves makes clear that cost is not his reason for opposing Medicaid expansion for working poor
The shroud of mystery has been removed on why Gov. Tate Reeves opposes expanding Medicaid. It is not a matter of cost. The governor simply does not support expanding Medicaid to provide health care coverage for Mississippi’s working poor. Reeves’ recent announcement of his plan to provide additional federal funds for struggling hospitals makes clear […]
Experts say Gov. Tate Reeves’ plan will help hospitals, but not uninsured Mississippians
Gov. Tate Reeves, after months of inaction, has unveiled a plan he says will turn Mississippi’s health care crisis around. However, even some health care experts were stumped by how the Governor’s proposed reforms will work. The plan, which Reeves announced at a press conference Thursday while flanked by state health care leaders, is essentially […]
County supervisors reverse course, give $3 million to Greenwood Leflore Hospital
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors, almost two weeks after rejecting Greenwood Leflore Hospital’s request to draw $1 million from its $10 million line of credit, approved giving the hospital $3 million on Monday night. The vote was unanimous, according to The Greenwood Commonwealth. The money should be enough to keep the hospital, which has […]
Brandon Presley again vows to expand Medicaid as Gov. Tate Reeves reiterates opposition
LAUREL — Days after Republican Gov. Tate Reeves doubled down on his stance against Medicaid expansion, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley promised Jones County voters he’d pass the policy on his first day in office. The state’s health care crisis has remained one of the major issues of the governor’s race. As hospitals struggle financially and […]