Mississippi lawmakers set up a more than $100 million grant program to support the state's struggling hospitals, but healthcare officials said the program is not helping as intended, NBC affiliate WLBT reported May 25.
The program was designed to distribute $103 million to hospitals through a hybrid funding model using American Rescue Plan Act funds. Winston Medical Center's CEO Paul Black told the news outlet that by funding the program with ARPA dollars, it turns it into a reimbursement program.
Mr. Black said the issue for many hospitals in the state is they've already claimed those expenses on ARPA funds they've received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and can't claim them again under this program.
He said they were supposed to get about $922,000 but will end up with nothing because they don't qualify.
"I don't think they understood the magnitude of … what those restrictions are on the ARPA money as far as it goes to hospitals," Mr. Black told the outlet. "I just don't think they understood."
Mark Horne, MD, chief medical officer and interim CEO of Laurel-based South Central Regional Medical Center, said he thinks they'll qualify for at least some of the funds, but not in the format they first expected, according to the report. Dr. Horne said that instead of having the money quickly available for a broad use of immediate needs, the funds will go through a slower process with a "tremendous amount of approval and reporting and uncertainty."