Category: Mississippi

Patients Are Relying on Lyft, Uber To Travel Far Distances to Medical Care

Uber and Lyft have become a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure for transporting ailing people from their homes — even in rural areas — to medical care sites in major cities such as Atlanta.

Most Black Hospitals Across the South Closed Long Ago. Their Impact Endures.

Taborian Hospital in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, was established to exclusively admit Black patients during a time when Jim Crow laws barred them from accessing the same health care facilities as white patients. Its closure underscores how hundreds of Black hospitals in the U.S. fell casualty to social progress.

Opioid Settlements Promise Mississippi a Windfall. What Happens Next?

Millions of dollars from national opioid settlements are pouring into Mississippi. The state and localities haven’t spent much yet. In many cases, how the money will be used is up in the air.

The Politics Holding Back Medicaid Expansion in Some Southern States

Ten states have not expanded Medicaid, leaving 1.5 million people ineligible for the state and federal insurance program and also unable to afford private insurance. Seven of those states are in the South, where expansion efforts may have momentum but where lawmakers say political polarization is holding them back.

Mississippi Lacks Black Doctors, Even as Lawmakers Increasingly Target Diversity Programs

Administrators at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine are trying to recruit more Black students — and more Hispanic and Choctaw Nation students, for that matter. But they face several obstacles, including a recent swell of Republican opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Facing Criticism, Feds Award First Maternal Health Grant to a Predominantly Black Rural Area

Mississippi has the highest rate of Black maternal mortality and morbidity in the U.S. Now, it also has a federal grant to help in rural areas. The award could signal more flexibility from federal officials.

Mississippi’s Cervical Cancer Deaths Indicate Broader Health Care Problems

Mississippi has among the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in the U.S. When low-income women can’t afford regular preventive care, much less gynecological visits, this highly preventable and treatable cancer becomes a killer.

Transgender People in Rural America Struggle to Find Doctors Willing or Able to Provide Care

Many health professionals in rural areas don’t know how to provide gender-affirming care, leaving transgender patients with few options.

More States to Consider Extending Postpartum Medicaid Coverage Beyond Two Months

Fifteen states haven’t moved to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms beyond the minimum of 60 days after birth. But at least four of those holdout states — Montana, Wyoming, Missouri, and Mississippi — are expected to consider proposals to extend coverage in their upcoming legislative sessions.

Patient Mistrust and Poor Access Hamper Federal Efforts to Overhaul Family Planning

For decades, many women of color, particularly those with low incomes, had little control over their family planning care. Now, a White House effort aims to give patients more choices as abortion care evaporates, but patients remain wary of providers.