Nearly a quarter of Mississippi residents rely on Medicaid for their health care needs, and many of them take comfort in the law that requires hospitals to provide emergency room care to anyone regardless of insurance status.
Hospitals, in turn, rely on reimbursements by Medicaid to cover the costs of caring for these patients.
But when the reimbursements don't match the costs, hospitals have to make up for it somewhere.
Two ways that this can be done are by raising the costs to patients who are insured and by cutting staff. Rush Health Systems, according to a statement made by company officials in October, may be taking the latter route and laying off an undisclosed number of employees sometime in the near future.
State Rep. Greg Snowden, R-Meridian, believes that the funding problem could be worked out if the Mississippi Hospital Association and Mississippi's Division of Medicaid would both be more willing to compromise as to reimbursement amounts. He believes that a lawsuit filed against Medicaid by the MHA and 43 Mississippi hospitals has created bad blood between the organizations.
"First and foremost," Snowden said, "we need the MHA and Medicaid to sit down and come up with a formula that will work for everyone."
Rush executive Donnie Smith said in an October television interview that the legislation could solve the problem by authorizing an increase in state Medicaid funds. Smith now refuses to comment on the issue, saying only, "I don't know how these rumors (about layoffs) got started."
Snowden believes the aim of MHA's lawsuit was to "prevent Medicaid from raising fees unilaterally so they could get the issue into the legislation." However, Snowden said, the Legislature put off the issue in the 2007 session.
Michael Bailey, chief financial officer of MHA, says that the lawsuit, which is over a tax increase on hospitals, is not related to the reimbursement issue, and that MHA is no longer part of the lawsuit anyway.
Bailey explains that Medicaid recently changed their reimbursement plan, and did not notify hospitals of the changes until after the hospitals had already made their budgets. Some hospitals actually saw an increase in Medicaid reimbursements, but others were left with holes in their budget, having made their financial plans based on reimbursements they had received in the previous fiscal year.
"Hospital administrators are a pretty ingenious breed of people," Bailey said, "but they can't plan on what they don't know about."
State Sen. Videt Carmichael, R-Meridian, hopes that a solution can be found without any new legislation being implemented, but says if the Legislature does have to get involved, he will be a part of it because of the large impact the issue has on Meridian.
"What we're hoping to see is something happen when we get back into our legislative session," he says, "but it will probably never be worked out to perfection ... It may not take legislation, but if it does that's something we'll have to really work on in the next session."
Riley Hospital declined to comment on how they have been affected by Medicaid changes, and Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center issued the following statement: “Across the state hospitals rely heavily on Medicaid funding. We hope the Mississippi Legislature and the Governor will address this important issue in the 2008 session.”
Local News
Hospitals may face staff cuts
Lack of Medicaid reimbursements cited as reason for possible layoffs
- Local News
-
-
City cuts payment to Watkins
The Meridian City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to cut their monthly payment to David Watkins, project developer of Meridian's new police station, by $9,999 until work resumes on the project.
The order, made during the Meridian City Council meeting Tuesday morning, included a mutual agreement between the councilmen and Watkins to reduce the project developer's monthly consultant fee of $10,000 to $1, effective Tuesday. -
Crews work on gasoline pipeline
If you hear a loud, booming sound early today, between 4 a.m.-10 a.m., there is no cause for alarm.
Workers with Plantation Pipeline will be performing maintenance work on their 30-foot gasoline pipeline in the Meridian area to accommodate the widening of Highway 493. The location of the work activity will be at Highway 493 North and Oak Hill Baptist Church, just inside the city limits. -
Team Spirit
-
High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
-
Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
A digital communications system, one which is being pushed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is a few months away and, in some cases, is already in the testing phase in Lauderdale County. -
Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
-
Star Of The Week: Dominique Goodwin-Jenkins
- More Local News Headlines
-
City cuts payment to Watkins
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
