Providers present case to supervisors

Two providers of medical care services returned to the Marshall County Board of Supervisors to ask for legislation that would help them recover unpaid expenses of their under insured or uninsured patients.

Christina Joyner, with Marshall Urgent Care, and Dr. Cassandra Hawkins, with honeycomb Medical Group, returned to the board to present data showing the needs of their uninsured or under-insured clients.

Hawkins said there are 296,000 uninsured people in Mississippi.

Medicaid’s Qualified Health Center grants and waiver programs are available to cover the cost of services of some of their patients, Hawkins said.

She said Mississippi is the 36th largest state and 40 percent of its population falls below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

That figure is two times the Federal Poverty Level, Hawkins said.

The federal poverty level for one person is $14,500, $19,720 for two persons, and $24,860 for a family of three.

Mississippi has 23 percent of its population that falls 23 percent below the U.S. Poverty level, Hawkins said.

The two providers have approached the board of supervisors for assistance citing that Alliance Hospital has received money to reimburse the hospital for uncollectible indigent care.

In 2023, Mississippi was one of 10 states that did not expand its Medicaid rolls.

Hawkins said the Affordable Care Act has helped a lot of patients who could not afford medical insurance.

The physician said it is challenging to take care of people in Mississippi.

“It is very complex to take care of patients,” Hawkins said.

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry said the board of supervisors are not the ones who determine indigent care funding for the county’s residents.

The Mississippi Legislature provided a local and private bill that has allowed the county to support indigent care at the hospital, he said.

Joyner said she would like a board to be formed to come up with a program for the county to support indigent care.

“We don’t have an option,” Terry said.

Board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith said the physicians would have to petition the Mississippi Legislature to support indigent care for their clients-that the current legislation only allows the county to provide support for the hospital.

“We will petition the Legislature as well,” Hawkins said.

Joyner said Marshall County residents need more services for the disadvantaged resident of the county, citing reduced services at the Marshall County Health Department and the cutback in the hospital services, recently.

Alliance was required to seek recertifiaction because of changes in the district it was placed in – the Memphis District as opposed to a local rural emergency hospital classification.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett said he was told by Bill Stone, CEO of North Mississippi Primary Health Care, that his clinics “will take care of them all.”

Terry, who has served on the board of supervisors 13 years, said he knows Alliance Hospital has had long standing support for indigent care from the board.

Joyner said her career started out at the hospital and wanted to know what indigent care programs are available in Marshall County.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III explained that the Mississippi Legislature did not choose Medicare expansion.

“Lots of hospitals closed down because of lack of Medicare Expansion,” he said.

“The Governor decided to not expand,” Joyner said.

“It might be a good idea to appeal to the Governor,” Zinn said.

Terry said he believes the board of supervisors will provide a resolution in support of the physicians’ petition to the legislature for a local and private bill.

“We are just offering to provide services,” Joyner said.

Terry expressed appreciation for the information shared, saying “you plan a program so we can see where we can support.”

“We have reached out to Jackson,” Hawkins said.

Terry asked the board if they would be willing to support the creation of a resolution of support for a bill to support the clinics.

“Yes,” said Bennett. Bill King and Tennille Allen presented information regarding the hospital. He said he was not at the board meeting to ask for any money. He asked the board of supervisors to assign someone to work with him “to come up with numbers, so we can get the ER reopened.” Terry said he wanted to table the discussion and take the matter under advisement because of the lengthy agenda. “The hospital has never been closed,” King said.