Health – Page 38 – The Mississippi Link

Mississippi lawmakers hear about BlueCross-HMA dispute

JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers say they hope the state’s second-largest hospital company and largest health insurer will resolve a financial dispute before patients lose care or facilities close.

Health Management Associates, a Florida-based company that owns 10 Mississippi hospitals, sued Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi in June, saying that the insurance company broke contract terms by underpaying for procedures. Blue Cross says HMA overcharges… […]

Hayes Cooper Center wins Walk It Out: Mayor’s Cup Challenge

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The Mississippi Link Newswire
The Walk It Out Cleveland program, part of the Healthy Campus/Community Initiative (HCCI), sponsored the inaugural “Walk It Out: Mayor’s Cup Challenge” between the Cleveland School District elementary schools at the Delta State Fitness Trail on Sept. 7.

As the warm Mississippi sun rose, 53 elementary students and 63 friends, family, and faculty/staff showed up bright-eyed and eager to walk and jog laps around the half-mile fitness trail… […]

Groups race to hire, train ’Obamacare’ guides

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In Mississippi, workers will go into rural areas without Internet access to help people with the enrollment and policy-shopping process, which is done online
CARLA K. JOHNSON, The Associated Press

(AP) CHICAGO – With the program known as “Obamacare” only weeks away from its key launch date, hectic preparations are in motion in communities across the country to deal with one of its major practical challenges: hiring and training a small army of instant experts who can explain the intricacies of health insurance to people who’ve never had it… […]

Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Saturday

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The Mississippi Link Newswire

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a united movement to reclaim the future for millions. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Saturday September 14th at The Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson, MS. Nearly 1,000 people from the Jackson Metro Area are expected at this year’s event to raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s participants will participate in a 3 mile walk/run… […]

Commissioner Mike Chaney to set up Mississippi small business health insurance exchange

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JACKSON, Mississippi – (AP) — Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney plans to move ahead with a health insurance exchange for small businesses after federal officials approved regulations to allow the move.

The Department of Health and Human Services had proposed a rule that would have barred states that didn’t run an individual marketplace from setting up a separate exchange for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Last week, federal officials adopted a rule advocated by Chaney that allows Mississippi to set up what’s called a Small Business Health Options, or SHOP exchange. Chaney said he’s scheduled to meet Sept. 18 with federal officials…. […]

Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation receives $9k donation

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The Fannie Lou Hamer Cancer Foundation in Ruleville, recently received a generous donation of $9,000 from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Tutwiler.

Freddie White-Johnson, founder and president of the Foundation, accepted the check from Shirley Walker, case management and supervisor of the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility. White-Johnson also serves as program director of the Mississippi Network for Cancer Control and Prevention (MNCCP) at The University of Southern Mississippi. […]

UMMC to enter lease agreement for Grenada Lake Medical Center

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With approval Thursday from the State Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, University of Mississippi Medical Center leaders will sign an agreement to lease the 156-bed Grenada Lake Medical Center from the Grenada County Board of Supervisors.

Under the agreement, UMMC would begin managing GLMC Sept. 1, and lease the facility beginning Jan. 1. Under the terms, UMMC would pay the county about $1.8 million annually to retire the facility’s $37.4 million debt. […]

State officials report second West Nile Virus Death of 2013

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The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported the second West Nile virus (WNV) death for 2013 last week, along with four new human cases. The death occurred in Bolivar County, and the new reported cases occurred in Forrest, Hinds and Rankin counties. These new reported cases bring the state total for 2013 to 12 cases, with two deaths.

The first death was an elderly man from Duck Hill in Montgomery County on July 2.

So far this year, cases have been reported in Forrest (3), Lincoln, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Wayne, LeFlore, Bolivar, Hinds and Rankin counties. The MSDH only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2012, Mississippi had 247 WNV cases and five deaths. […]

Mississippi firm recalls frozen chicken meals

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A Mississippi distributor of frozen chicken has recalled nearly 2,500 pounds of meals because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen, according to the U.S. Department Agriculture.

Traditions Meal Solutions, located in Pearl, Miss., said in a news release last week that the 2,486 pounds of recalled frozen chicken meals contain milk but that it is not on the label. Milk is a known allergen.

The USDA said the problem was discovered by the firm during a routine label review. Milk is a sub-ingredient of the butter flavoring used in the product. The problem occurred after a change in formulation which resulted in milk being omitted from the label.
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Panel: 1/5th of child deaths in 2011 preventable

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More than one-fifth of all childhood deaths in Mississippi could have been prevented, a state panel says.

The Child Death Review Panel looked at 229 of the 610 child deaths reported statewide in 2011. It found that 134 of those deaths – about 22 percent of the 610 – were preventable.

Seventy-five of the deaths were the result of motor vehicle accidents. […]