Mississippi
Blue Cross, UMMC agree to mediation to settle contract dispute
![Blue Cross, UMMC agree to mediation to settle contract dispute Blue Cross, UMMC agree to mediation to settle contract dispute](https://mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/AP_18122675462420-scaled.jpg)
Blue Cross & Blue Defend of Mississippi and College of Mississippi Medical Middle have agreed to make the most of a mediation course of to settle the contract dispute that has left the state’s largest hospital out of community with its largest insurer.
The choice comes after Mississippi Insurance coverage Commissioner Mike Chaney despatched them a letter on April 21 urging them to conform to mediation. The arbitration course of entails bringing in an skilled and neutral mediator who can preside over new contract negotiations.
Chaney advised Mississippi Right now on Thursday that he’ll be offering a number of suggestions for potential mediators by subsequent week.
Blue Cross and UMMC used the identical mediation course of to settle their final contract dispute in 2018, and it took round ten days to strike a deal, Chaney stated. At the moment, Blue Cross agreed to take away language that made the contract evergreen, that means the insurance coverage firm may now not change the contract phrases at any time.
UMMC claims that between 2014 and 2017, Blue Cross made annual modifications to their reimbursement charges that decreased the general reimbursement UMMC obtained to look after Blue Cross sufferers.·UMMC obtained an general 1% improve as a part of the 2018 negotiations, however no modifications have been made to their reimbursement charges since then.
After the 2 events agree on who the mediator needs to be, a deadline will likely be set for them to settle their variations. Chaney advised Mississippi Right now that the deadline will seemingly be June 1 – 30 days earlier than the top of the 90-day “continuity of care” interval, the place sure Blue Cross sufferers can nonetheless obtain care at UMMC and have their insurance coverage accepted.
Beneath state company guidelines, Chaney shouldn’t be allowed to straight mediate or assist settle disputes over contacts between insurance coverage corporations and well being care suppliers.
Chaney’s involvement stems from considerations that UMMC not being in Blue Cross’ community runs afoul of state community adequacy laws because of UMMC offering providers that can’t be discovered elsewhere within the state, similar to its organ transplant unit and youngsters’s hospital.
BCBSMS maintains that even with out UMMC, it’s nonetheless assembly its community adequacy requirement. BCBSMS additionally stated that the treatment in a state of affairs the place community adequacy is a matter is for it to offer community degree advantages to its clients for these providers, which it has provided to do by directing its members to signal a written course of fee instructing the insurer to pay the hospital.
UMMC has declined to just accept these funds from BCBS, arguing that it could permit BCBSMS to proceed paying at unsustainable charges.
UMMC and Blue Cross haven’t been in communication since April 1, when UMMC formally went out of community with the insurance coverage firm, in line with officers from each entities. Tens of hundreds of Mississippians – a few of them gravely in poor health and others in want of superior specialties solely obtainable at UMMC – are caught in the midst of the dispute.
Although the 2 events have had related contract disputes in earlier years, that is the primary time UMMC has been faraway from BCBSMS’ community.
In consequence, tens of hundreds of Mississippians have been left to face greater out-of-pocket medical bills or discover care elsewhere. Potential transplant recipients who’ve spent months or years on organ donation waitlists have been positioned on maintain. Mother and father of youngsters who require specialised care that may solely be offered at UMMC’s youngsters’s hospital have been left with expensive and inconvenient choices for persevering with their baby’s care.
UMMC is asking Blue Cross for substantial will increase to inpatient, outpatient {and professional} reimbursement charges, some as giant as 50%. Total reimbursement from Blue Cross would improve by round 30% within the first yr of the brand new contract.
Mississippi has the bottom reimbursement fee from industrial insurance coverage corporations for inpatient providers within the nation, in line with a 2021 white paper by the actuarial and consulting agency Milliman. Whereas UMMC maintains that BCBSMS is paying them effectively under market charges for different tutorial medical facilities within the area, BCBSMS argues that agreeing to the will increase would necessitate vital premium will increase for his or her clients – regardless of a Mississippi Right now investigation that exposed the insurer is sitting on an infinite reserve of cash.
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Mississippi
Seven Killed, Dozens Injured When Bus Flips in Mississippi
![Seven Killed, Dozens Injured When Bus Flips in Mississippi Seven Killed, Dozens Injured When Bus Flips in Mississippi](https://img2-azrcdn.newser.com/image/1556537-12-20240831141902.jpeg)
A commercial passenger bus driving through Mississippi on its way to Mexico ran off a highway and overturned early Saturday, killing seven people and injuring dozens. The accident occurred on Interstate 20 east of Vicksburg, CNN reports. A total of 37 people were taken to hospitals in Vicksburg and Jackson, the Mississippi Highway Patrol said. A 6-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister were among those killed, per the AP. “Anytime you have people injured or killed, it’s tragic, but when you have a situation like this where you have multiple fatalities and multiple injuries, it makes it even worse,” said Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.
The bus, a 2018 Volvo, is owned by Autobuses Regiomontanos, which transports passengers between Mexico and the US, a company spokesperson said. The company is based in Monterrey, Mexico, Miranda Fernandez said. Its website lists several US locations; it’s not clear where the trip had originated. “All of the passengers go through proper immigration checkpoints and must show their passports or visas to enter either Mexico or the United States,” Fernandez told CNN. (More bus accident stories.)
Mississippi
What channel is Mississippi State football vs EKU on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 1 game
![What channel is Mississippi State football vs EKU on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 1 game What channel is Mississippi State football vs EKU on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 1 game](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/04/20/PNAS/73399215007-1350-acs-fbc-cl-msu-spring-game.jpg?auto=webp&crop=1151,649,x0,y107&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Mississippi State football opens the 2024 season with FCS opponent Eastern Kentucky on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium.
The Bulldogs open Year 1 of the Jeff Lebby era with a lot of unknowns. Saturday’s game will be a good chance to find some answers.
Mississippi State QB Blake Shapen will make his first start in maroon and may have a big season in Lebby’s offense.
Here’s how to watch the Mississippi State football vs. Eastern Kentucky game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Mississippi State vs. EKU will broadcast nationally via streaming on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ in Week 1 of the 2024 college football season. Kevin Fitzgerald and Charlie Strong will call the game from the booth at Davis Wade Stadium. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service.
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Start time: 5 p.m. CT
The Mississippi State football vs. Eastern Kentucky game starts at 5 p.m. CT Saturday from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
Clarion Ledger reporter Sam Sklar’s prediction: Mississippi State 50, Eastern Kentucky 10
Saturday will be a celebration of sorts for Lebby’s first game. The Bulldogs will come out hungry with something to prove on offense after last season. MSU will grab a big lead early and Blake Shapen won’t need to play a single snap in the fourth quarter.
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Aug. 29
- Odds: N/A
- O/U: N/A
- Money line: N/A
- Aug. 31: EKU, 5 p.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
- Sept. 7: at Arizona State, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
- Sept. 14: Toledo, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU
- Sept. 21: Florida, 11 a.m. on ABC or ESPN
- Sept. 28: at Texas, TBD
- Oct. 5: OPEN DATE
- Oct. 12: at Georgia, TBD
- Oct. 19: Texas A&M, TBD
- Oct. 26: Arkansas, TBD
- Nov. 2: UMass, 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network
- Nov. 9: at Tennessee, TBD
- Nov. 16: OPEN DATE
- Nov. 23: Missouri
- Nov. 29: at Ole Miss, 2:30 p.m. on ABC and ESPN+
- Dec. 7: SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, 4 p.m. on ABC
- Record: 0-0
- Aug. 31: Mississippi State, 5 p.m. on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
- Sept. 7: at Western Kentucky, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 14: West Georgia, 5 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 21: Morehead State, 5 p.m. on ESPN+
- Sept. 28: Robert Morris, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 5: OPEN DATE
- Oct. 12: at Southern Utah, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 19: at Abilene Christian, 3 p.m. on ESPN+
- Oct. 26: Utah Tech, 2 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 2: at Tarleton State, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 9: Central Arkansas, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 16: at Austin Peay, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Nov. 23: North Alabama, 1 p.m. on ESPN+
- Record: 0-0
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Mississippi
Man shot by Alabama deputies after fleeing Mississippi roadblock, officials say
![Man shot by Alabama deputies after fleeing Mississippi roadblock, officials say Man shot by Alabama deputies after fleeing Mississippi roadblock, officials say](https://www.al.com/resizer/v2/G7RZQFGZMFHM5HJHE2RHQB3BR4.jpg?auth=6d9307db8786a067953ad288834ffc51cd33843fbb71d84524be0ce54396cc43&width=1280&quality=90)
An investigation is ongoing after a 53-year-old man was shot by sheriff’s deputies in north Alabama.
The shooting happened late Thursday into early Friday when Colbert County deputies were assisting Mississippi law enforcement officers in a car chase that crossed over into Alabama, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agent.
ALEA Lt. Jeremy Burkett identified the wounded man as John William Griffin. He lives in Iuka.
The pursuit ultimately ended on Daryl Lane in Leighton in Colbert County, Burkett said
Griffin was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital. His condition has not been released.
Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine told WAFF that Griffin refused to stop at a random police roadblock in Tishomingo County, Mississippi.
Balentine said Griffin fired on officers and deputies and was shot in return fire.
Burkett said no officers were injured.
Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to the Colbert County District Attorney’s Office.
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