MPHCA News

Uninsured health-care ranks rising in Mississippi

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:35:00 GMT

Poor economy, rising premiums taking their toll

Jerry Mitchell • jmitchell@clarionledger.com • July 2, 2009

CLARION LEDGER

In a state the federal government already rates weak in health care, Mississippians are losing health insurance and choosing to either forego treatment or join the uninsured filling waiting rooms at subsidized clinics and emergency rooms.

Renee Payne is one of those. The 30-year-old diabetic from Terry is among the 18 percent who have decided against visiting a physician because of the cost.

She hasn't seen a doctor in three months because as a part-time employee, she received no health benefits. "I'm barely getting by with my family's help," she said. "I've tried to get Medicaid, but you have to have kids or be disabled. And you can't make more than $8 an hour."

She's also among the 20 percent of Mississippians who have no health insurance.

Over the past three years, the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center has seen its number of uninsured patients rise from 40 percent to 56 percent.

"We need a permanent solution based on the premise that all people, whether poor or old or living in Mississippi, deserve access to health care," said Dr. Jasmin Chapman, CEO of the center. "You can't have a healthy economy if you don't have healthy people."

Mississippi's perpetual problems with funding Medicaid could toss even more people into the ranks of the uninsured, she said.

No matter what Mississippi leaders decide to do, the center will continue to see patients, even if they lack insurance, she said. But she acknowledged, "It will definitely put a big strain on us."

Those who can afford insurance must now pay more than ever for insurance premiums.

Since 2000, the percent of Mississippians who have health insurance through their employers has declined from 59 percent to 49 percent.

Much of that decline has been seen in small business, which make up three-fourths of Mississippi's businesses. Only 28 percent of those employers offered health benefits - compared to 38 percent nationally.

"Small business owners are the backbone of our economy," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a recent conference call with reporters. "They are the ones often bearing the brunt of this cost."

President Obama and his Cabinet are attempting to rally support for proposed legislation in which government health insurance would fill the gap for those unable to get other insurance.

Americans can no longer afford the current system, she said. "At the end, costs have to go down for everybody."

Asked what public health care systems in foreign nations are being studied, she replied no others serve as models. "We need an American solution because our health system is different."

Asked if businesses might simply drop insurance so that employees can go onto the proposed public system, she responded the public option would only be available to those without coverage. "The president wants to encourage a system that builds on what we have," she said.

Hank Aiken, co-owner of Aiken Insurance Agency in Jackson, said if the government's insurance plan indeed gives Americans the choice of doctors and providers, he would be tempted to drop the coverage he carries for his employees.

"What would motivate me to pay more if the government is willing to subsidize one that costs less?" he asked. "To not take that would be the same as not taking Social Security."

Shawn Lea, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Hospital Association, said the administration's proposal involves hospital cuts. "We are for health-care reform, but this is shifting the cost to the people," she said. "Hospital cuts are not true health care reform."

State Epidemiologist Dr. Mary Currier said the state Department of Health favors "increased access to preventive care and screenings. The current economic climate is decreasing our already low rate of health insurance coverage, and even people with health insurance do not always have coverage for preventive care. Improving the populations' health through prevention is by itself a worthwhile goal and makes good economic sense. People who are healthy are much better able to meet the family and employment obligations in their communities."

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program recently conducted a series of "listening sessions," asking Mississippians what they would like to see in terms of health care coverage.

They would like to see the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid as a number of states have done, said Roy Mitchell, director of the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program.

Payne's part-time job is becoming full time, which means she will qualify for health insurance after a 90-day waiting period.

That, she said, is the best news of all.

Jones eases to victory

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:35:00 GMT

By Jennifer Jacob Brown

THE MERIDIAN STAR

July 01, 2009 01:28 am

Voters in Mississippi House District 82 spoke loud and clear Tuesday.

They elected Wilbert Jones to represent them in the Legislature with a comfortable 64 percent of the vote. Jones beat out opponent Bill Marcy in Tuesday's run-off election with 1,664 votes. Marcy received 920 votes, or 36 percent of the total vote, including adsentee ballots.

"It's a calmness," Jones said shortly after his victory became clear. "I feel great. I have very strong supporters that believe in me. It was just a matter of getting out the vote."

Though Jones was happy with his percentage of the vote, he admitted he was disappointed with the low overall voter turnout. Only 2,385 people turned up to vote in the election, though the circuit clerk's office reported there were more than 10,000 active registered voters in the district.

Jones, who plans to declare as a Democrat, will replace the late Rep. Charles L. Young, Sr., who passed away in April while in his 30th year in office. The Young family endorsed Jones immediately after he qualified for the special election to fill Rep. Young's seat.

Five candidates ran in the special election earlier this month. Jones and Marcy both received far more votes than any of the other candidates in that election, winning the right to compete in Tuesday's run-off.

When asked if he plans to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Jones said, "I will definitely vote for the best interest of East Mississippi, and that's what Mr. Young always did. He understood the needs of this community... I learned a lot from Mr. Young, and yes I will be following in his path of growth and prosperity for East Mississippi."

Jones, who works as director of Greater Meridian Health Clinic, said he does not know exactly when he will be seated, but that when he is, he's ready to go. "Right now it's just a matter of rolling up my sleeves and getting back to work," he said.

His main concerns as a legislator, Jones said, will be economic development, forming consensus in the East Mississippi delegation, and procuring nationally competitive funding for education in Mississippi.

Marcy was not bitter about his loss. "I just called Wilbert Jones and I wished him the best," he said Tuesday night. "He ran a good race."

Marcy said he will continue to be active in political causes and remain in the public eye, but was unsure whether he will run for public office again. He has previously run for mayor of Meridian and U.S. Congress.

Marcy said he looks back happily on his race for the Legislature, particularly to his support from the Republican Party. "I think it says a lot in the state of Mississippi where the white governor and the white power structure reach out and support a black candidate," he said.

Operations Assessment Training was conducted on August 19th

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:35:00 GMT

MICHAEL TAYLOR returned to Mississippi on August 19th to conduct a one day seminar for the Finance Directors on Conducting an Operations Assessment and Removing Barriers to Productivity. Click here for copies of the handouts.

National Health Center Week was held Aug. 9-14

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:42:00 GMT

Mississippi Community Health Centers Celebrate NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK Aug. 9-14, 2009. Click here for more details.