The Mississippi State Medical Association said that as hospitals close across the state, access to life-saving care becomes a threat to all Mississippians, and while a debate as to why hospitals are closing remains the primary topic of discourse, "the immediate crisis progressively engulfs [the hospitals]."
The physician advocacy organization said in a Jan. 3 news release that an overhaul of the state's current system of healthcare "is unmistakably essential," and outlined several steps state leaders can take to "avert a looming disaster."
Those recommendations are:
1. Raise income eligibility for Medicaid.
2. Offset "taxes" hospitals currently pay.
3. Restructure healthcare delivery systems across the state, which may include strategically located critical access hospitals, emergency care and a restructured referral system to hospitals when higher levels of care are required.
4. Consider a model to provide access to care for working Mississippians through purchase of private insurance for qualified recipients.
5. Enhance preventative care measures for all Medicaid recipients by implementing an accountable care payment model.