Mississippi Cares, an innovative proposal for health care coverage, was the focus of last week’s Eupora Rotary Club program.
Robin Mixon, administrator at North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora and a fellow Rotarian, presented the program on July 23.
Mississippi Cares would help cover the nearly 300,000 Mississippi adults in the state who have no health insurance and are not currently eligible for Medicaid, according to the Mississippi Hospital Association.
The proposed plan would be a public-private partnership between the state of Mississippi, Mississippi hospitals, Mississippi True and its plan members to create a healthier and more productive Mississippi, to sustain access to hospital care for Mississippi communities, to reform the Medicaid payment and delivery models, and to stimulate Mississippi’s economy.
Mississippi Cares would cover non-disabled adults age 19-64 earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level (approximately $17,000 for an individual or $35,000 for a family of four).
Because of the passage of the Restore Hope Act in 2017, Mississippi already has a process in place to ensure compliance with these income standards. This proposal emphasizes personal responsibility and healthcare consumerism.
Plan participants would contribute $20/month in premium payments, with a $100 co-pay for non-emergency use of a hospital emergency department if a federally qualified health center, rural health clinic or urgent care center is within 20 miles of the hospital.
Other co-pays and plan benefits will mirror traditional fee-for-service Medicaid, with the exception of non-emergency transportation services. Dental and vision benefits will also be included. Non-employed plan members must enroll in a job training, education or volunteer program, with certain exceptions.
Timothy H. Moore, president/chief executive officer of the MHA, the state’s trade association for hospitals, said in a press release that uncompensated care costs in Mississippi are exceeding $600 million annually.
“Mississippi is among the highest in the country in medical debt. Not because our costs are too high — we rank in the bottom third in the country for health care expenditures per person — but because our need for healthcare is so great and our means to pay for that needed care is so low,” said Moore.
“Healthcare is a quality of life issue. Many working adults have no health insurance coverage in our state. If Mississippi is going to improve the quality of life for our citizens, we can’t continue to do the same thing the same way and expect a different result. Plain and simple, what we’re doing, particularly in our Medicaid program, isn’t working. We need Medicaid reform,” Moore added.
Under a special Medicaid waiver request, Mississippi hospitals would make an additional investment in the premiums needed to fund insurance coverage through a hospital-owned provider-sponsored health plan, Mississippi True. Because of hospital and participant investment, the plan will not cost the state any additional dollars, according to the press release. Hospital investments and personal premiums from plan members would fund the needed 10% state share to match the 90% federal share.
In 2015, the Mississippi Legislature passed Senate Bill 2441 to create Mississippi True. The bill recognized that provider-sponsored health plans are a vehicle for improving the delivery of Medicaid in the state. Mississippi True has already obtained a license from the Mississippi Department of Insurance. Well-established provider-led plans have demonstrated that they can improve health outcomes and spend less on their own administrative costs, according to the MHA.
The organization estimates the plan will pump more than $1 billion each year into Mississippi’s economy, create 19,000 jobs, improve personal income by over $600 million and increase general fund revenue by $50 million-$100 million.
“This proposal is a win-win situation for the state of Mississippi. It reduces uncompensated care costs for hospitals, helps Mississippians access the healthcare they need when they need it and sustains access to hospital care, particularly in our rural communities,” MHA stated. “Most importantly, this proposal will result in a healthier and more productive workforce in our state.”
For more information about the proposal, visit www.MississippiCares.com.
