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Health coverage for thousands of Mississippians in question as UMMC and Blue Cross negotiate contract

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Health coverage for thousands of Mississippians in question as UMMC and Blue Cross negotiate contract

Thousands of of Mississippi's largest hospital and its clinics could be on the hook for higher out-of-pocket costs if the and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi do not agree on a new contract by March 31.

The contract dispute dates back to 2018 but was temporarily resolved when an agreement was reached then between the two entities. UMMC, the 's largest provider, wants Blue Cross, the state's largest insurer, to pay higher reimbursement rates for medical services provided. BCBS has balked at that request.

The contracts negotiated between insurers and providers include massive discounts for the providers in their networks. If an agreement cannot be reached before March 31 and UMMC is forced out of the BCBS network, thousands of patients with BCBS insurance plans would have to pay the hospital's inflated “chargemaster” prices or find health care elsewhere.

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This , UMMC sent a letter to each of its patients with commercial BCBS plans, alerting them to how their coverage could be affected by the outcome of the ongoing negotiations.

“Our negotiations with Blue Cross continue and we are hopeful that a new contract can be agreed upon before the current agreement ends,” Dr. LouAnn Woodward, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs, said in a statement to on Friday. “It's a top priority that all have uninterrupted access to the physicians and other services provided by the state's only academic medical center and no patients experience disruption to their trusted UMMC care.”

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi officials did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Even if a new agreement isn't reached, those enrolled in the Mississippi State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan would not be affected. Though that plan is administered through BCBS, the current negotiations only affect the insurer's commercial insurance plans.

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Still, thousands of Mississippians would be affected because BCBS is the largest private health insurance provider in the state, with a 17.56% market share, according to data from the Mississippi Department of Insurance. Those patients would have to find a new in-network provider or face higher costs. Many wouldn't have a choice if they were to need emergency care at UMMC, or required any of the specialized services only exclusively by the medical center. 

These services include Mississippi's only Level 1 trauma center, Level IV neonatal intensive care unit and 's hospital, among other critical care services.

This isn't the first time UMMC and BCBS have battled over contract negotiations. UMMC pursued higher reimbursement rates before their original 28-year-old contract with BCBS was set to expire on June 30, 2018.

That negotiation period dragged on for months and passed the expiration date, though patients with BCBS plans were still treated as being in-network while the two parties haggled. 

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A new contract was eventually signed in August 2018. That contract is at the center of the current dispute.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi News

Powerball jackpot increases to $935 million after no one wins the top prize

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www.wjtv.com – Matthew Knight – 2024-03-28 05:00:55

SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot is now at $935 million after no winners were drawn. The Mega Millions jackpot was won in New Jersey for $1.13 . The Powerball jackpot has not been won since New Year's Day. The next drawing is for a sole winner who will be paid over 30 years through an annuity. Experts recommend taking the annuity option as it provides more control and protection for the winnings. Taxes will be withheld regardless of the payout option. Financial and legal advice is recommended for jackpot winners. Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Mississippi News

Warming trend for Easter weekend – Home – WCBI TV

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www.wcbi.com – Isaac Williams – 2024-03-28 04:08:29

SUMMARY: The weather in Columbus, Mississippi will be cold in the mornings but warm up in the afternoons for the Easter . Thursday will be sunny with highs in the 60s, dropping to the 30s at night with patchy frost. Friday will have highs in the 70s, and the weekend will be even warmer with temperatures in the 80s and no rain expected. Next will see warm and humid with the possibility of scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. It is still unsure if the storms will be severe.

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The post Warming trend for Easter weekend – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com

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Mississippi News

Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson

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www.wjtv.com – Kaitlin Howell – 2024-03-27 19:16:28

SUMMARY: Two teenagers from Rankin County, Maxle Mooneyham, 16, and John Foote, 17, were in connection to the shooting of 14-year-old Cameron Horne-Crook in . The suspects were charged with murder and were assisted in their arrest by Rankin County deputies and Pearl . Horne-Crook was shot multiple times on March 25 in the 3500 block of Ridgecrest . He was a student at Northwest Rankin Middle School. The names of the suspects were corrected by Jackson police in an updated announcement.

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The post Two Rankin County teens arrested for shooting death of 14-year-old in Jackson appeared first on www.wjtv.com

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