$89 million Medicaid deficit effecting state’s hospitals

Mississippi has an $89 million Medicaid problem, and hospitals could pay

Medicaid is one of Baptist-DeSoto’s biggest insurers, covering more than 10 percent of its patients. And right now the state agency is at a crisis point, facing a near record-breaking $89 million budget deficit.

So far this session, lawmakers have committed only to fulfilling about half that deficit. This means Huffman and other hospital CEOs statewide will face their own budget crises and risk eliminating some patient services.

If Medicaid, a state agency, can’t close the deficit with internal cuts, state code mandates Mississippi’s providers step in and cover up to $40 million of the losses through a series of provider cuts. This includes a maximum $10 million tax assessment on all 110 hospitals in the state.

SunHerald / Mississippi Today
3/11/17