OT: rural healthcare

[horshack.sixpack]

College thread got me thinking. Assume that there will be some negative impact from the triple B on these regional hospitals in the state that are hanging on by a thread anyway. Is there an easy answer for having all of the rural hospitals in the state? Should we expect travel for healthcare to a bigger city if we need it? Admittedly I don’t know the “right” answer but it seems that if things don’t pay for themselves there has to be some kind of recourse. Feels like a lot of growing pains that have some tie to the US becoming less agrarian. Thoughts?

 

[Pars]

Oschner has bought up a ton of clinics in my area.
not sure what that means for the long term but the service seems to have improved

 

[Dawgbite]

There needs to be a way to return emergency rooms to just emergencies and not free healthcare for every sniffle and cough for those who have zero intention of paying their bill.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

There needs to be a way to return emergency rooms to just emergencies and not free healthcare for every sniffle and cough for those who have zero intention of paying their bill.

I feel like that is part of healthcare being fundamentally broken.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Should we expect travel for healthcare to a bigger city if we need it?

Yes. We have too many "hospitals" anyway. There's hospital in Greenwood and less than 30 miles to the north there's one in Grenada and less than 30 miles east there's one in Y-known-er. An hour or so to the west, I'm sure there's one in Greenville. Up though the 70s/80s, before folks starting traveling outside their community on a regular basis (and doctors would actually come back to their hometowns to practice), these hospitals were busy. Now folks from Greenwood regularly go to Jxn, Oxghanistan and Memphis for anything more serious than a sinus infection. Many years ago, my oldest son got a deep cut from a tree climbing incident, I hightailed to St D rather than the aforementioned options.

 

[Dawgbite]

My wife was diagnosed 20 years ago with glaucoma. One of her drops, it’s .5 ounces by the way, was over $900 per month. We have relatively good health insurance. Our insurance was paying a little over $500 and our out of pocket was like $370 This is a months supply. Our insurance requires that all drugs that you take continuously to be ordered online, they can’t be filled at a local store. A pharmacist friend told us to get a written prescription from the Dr and shop it around local pharmacies and tell them we dont have insurance. We are now getting that same $900 eye drop for $78 per bottle. That’s broken!

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

My wife was diagnosed 20 years ago with glaucoma. One of her drops, it’s .5 ounces by the way, was over $900 per month. We have relatively good health insurance. Our insurance was paying a little over $500 and our out of pocket was like $370 This is a months supply. Our insurance requires that all drugs that you take continuously to be ordered online, they can’t be filled at a local store. A pharmacist friend told us to get a written prescription from the Dr and shop it around local pharmacies and tell them we dont have insurance. We are now getting that same $900 eye drop for $78 per bottle. That’s broken!

Allways ask, there is an insurance price, and a cash price. (they are required to tell you)
Trump put that in place, in his first term.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

There was talk at one time that Wade Equipment had some sort of initiative they were going to do to help with the rural hospitals in the Delta but when the farm economy turned to crap that kinda stalled.

 

[Wesson Bulldog]

We have a relatively new hospital in Copiah County (CCMC) that has ER with contracted ambulance and air service, swing bed and lots of ancillary providers from Jackson (Capital Ortho, GI associate, etc). A new clinic is being built on the property to replace one that has been in existence for 60+ years. It's is heavily dependent on transfer payments. Margins are slim, and I'm not sure what will happen in the next couple of years.

 

[John Deaux VII]

Health insurance these days works far different than any other insurance product. You don't file casualty insurance claims for routine maintenence on a car or house. You file when you have an expensive occurence like an accident or storm damage. Health insurance works both ways - it pays for routine visits AND hospital stays, ER visits, care for cronic illness. I don't know how much that contributes to inflation, but it seems like it probably does to some degeree.

 

[ETK99]

College thread got me thinking. Assume that there will be some negative impact from the triple B on these regional hospitals in the state that are hanging on by a thread anyway. Is there an easy answer for having all of the rural hospitals in the state? Should we expect travel for healthcare to a bigger city if we need it? Admittedly I don’t know the “right” answer but it seems that if things don’t pay for themselves there has to be some kind of recourse. Feels like a lot of growing pains that have some tie to the US becoming less agrarian. Thoughts?

MS will see little impact

 

[MSUGUY]

College thread got me thinking. Assume that there will be some negative impact from the triple B on these regional hospitals in the state that are hanging on by a thread anyway. Is there an easy answer for having all of the rural hospitals in the state? Should we expect travel for healthcare to a bigger city if we need it? Admittedly I don’t know the “right” answer but it seems that if things don’t pay for themselves there has to be some kind of recourse. Feels like a lot of growing pains that have some tie to the US becoming less agrarian. Thoughts?

The Tater Medicaid hospital fix survived the BBB, so hopefully nothing.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Yes. We have too many "hospitals" anyway. There's hospital in Greenwood and less than 30 miles to the north there's one in Grenada and less than 30 miles east there's one in Y-known-er. An hour or so to the west, I'm sure there's one in Greenville. Up though the 70s/80s, before folks starting traveling outside their community on a regular basis (and doctors would actually come back to their hometowns to practice), these hospitals were busy. Now folks from Greenwood regularly go to Jxn, Oxghanistan and Memphis for anything more serious than a sinus infection. Many years ago, my oldest son got a deep cut from a tree climbing incident, I hightailed to St D rather than the aforementioned options.

Maybe a collection of emergent care facilities that covers rural areas and travel to larger areas for scheduled things?

 

[leeinator]

There's a huge opportunity for FNP clinics around the state that can handle probably 80-90% of all health care needs. Then if the FNP feels a need for a higher level care, that person can either transport themselves or some sort of Medicare transport can take over to a full doctor's office or emergency room, specialist, etc. And the FNP could have tele/video conference set ups with a supporting physician available.

 

[Darryl Steight]

Maybe a collection of emergent care facilities that covers rural areas and travel to larger areas for scheduled things?

There are some people working on these types of solutions now. Telehealth, Kiosks that can go almost anywhere, even some AI assisted hardware and software solutions that bring the medical care closer/more accessible to the patients. Those will help, although it will take time.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Yes. We have too many "hospitals" anyway. There's hospital in Greenwood and less than 30 miles to the north there's one in Grenada and less than 30 miles east there's one in Y-known-er. An hour or so to the west, I'm sure there's one in Greenville.

How do you know this? Just sounds like more 'cut cut cut cut cut' talk to me.

 

[Nicephorus123]

Brings up the question of if these small communities are truly better served having their own “hospital” with very limited inpatient services, sporadic to no physician specialty support with the 1 ER doc possibly being the only physician in the building much of the week, no procedural coverage beyond basic wound care and IVs, no definitive stroke or heart attack care, etc… versus driving 2-3 hours up the road to a larger facility.

The term “hospital” is used very loosely for a lot of these rural facilities without any clarification of what services they are actually providing.

Personally believe the state would be best served spending its limited resources on a few larger regional facilities with perhaps basic ERs and urgent cares scattered around without any inpatient services.

 

[ETK99]

Anyone that thinks healthcare should be limited due to location, doesn't really care about healthcare. MS spits on healthcare and education like no other state in this country already. Fewer healthcare facilities isn't the answer. We're simply the poorest state and that's what needs to be corrected.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

Anyone that thinks healthcare should be limited due to location, doesn't really care about healthcare. MS spits on healthcare and education like no other state in this country already. Fewer healthcare facilities isn't the answer. We're simply the poorest state and that's what needs to be corrected.

pump the brakes on MS spitting on education....In the last 10 years we've gone from 49th to 16th in education, raised the pay of our teachers to the national average, and scrapped the MAEP formula that didnt work, and now our schools get more money than they ever have....MS has surpassed California, New York, and Texas in overall education. It has been called the "MS Miracle" and folks from other states are coming here to find out how we are doing it....it's not a secret. Healthcare is a different monster though.

 

[patdog]

Maybe a collection of emergent care facilities that covers rural areas and travel to larger areas for scheduled things?

Maybe. Problem is, for a lot of poor rural people, travel isn't easy. Of course, that goes for everything else too, not just medical care. Groceries, etc.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Anyone that thinks healthcare should be limited due to location, doesn't really care about healthcare. MS spits on healthcare and education like no other state in this country already. Fewer healthcare facilities isn't the answer. We're simply the poorest state and that's what needs to be corrected.

Naw, mane. Got to cut shlt. Waste, muh FrAuD, aBuSe!!!! Becawz Elon muh told me

In all seriousness, no one has ever told me a viable plan to ensure all the mythical 'savings' would be spent in an efficient way, or just wasted elsewhere.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

pump the brakes on MS spitting on education....In the last 10 years we've gone from 49th to 16th in education, raised the pay of our teachers to the national average, and scrapped the MAEP formula that didnt work, and now our schools get more money than they ever have....MS has surpassed California, New York, and Texas in overall education. It has been called the "MS Miracle" and folks from other states are coming here to find out how we are doing it....it's not a secret. Healthcare is a different monster though.

By simply holding back kids we should've been holding back for years. I don't really believe those numbers beyond a test score either. And I'm talking funding and support.
Consolidate schools to save money, close hospitals to save money. Let's force everyone to travel for both! That's the MS mindset!

 

[retire the banner]

Healthcare is broken. It’s all a money scheme

 

[johnson86-1]

Anyone that thinks healthcare should be limited due to location, doesn't really care about healthcare. MS spits on healthcare and education like no other state in this country already. Fewer healthcare facilities isn't the answer. We're simply the poorest state and that's what needs to be corrected.

There is just a minimum number of people you need to support a full service hospital and many areas of our state don't have that. Just looking at some Delta counties:

Coahoma County: 20K
Washington County: 41k
Sunflower: 25K
Bolivar County: 29k
Leflore: 26k

I don't know what it costs to run a small hospital, but looking online, it looks like Greenwood Leflore hospital (which may have shut down?) lost $16M in 2023. That $16M divided by the county's population is $615 per person. Supposedly that year 33% of the county was covered by Medicaid and 9% was covered by Medicare (this is according to AI, so grain of salt and everything, but that's inline with what I'd expect). So you're talking about another $615 per person annually when 42% of that population is already not paying for the vast majority of their healthcare and presumably don't have a lot of resources to pay.

I think 26k people probably would be enough to support a bare bones hospital, but there is a government stranglehold on the number of doctors that can be produced and an amazing amount of red tape caused by government regulations and also just a ton of bureaucracy that is inherent when you are relying on 90%+ of your healthcare to be paid for by 3rd parties. Just a lot of costs to be covered before you even get to covering care and it's hard when you can only spread that out over 26k people.

 

[paindonthurt]

College thread got me thinking. Assume that there will be some negative impact from the triple B on these regional hospitals in the state that are hanging on by a thread anyway. Is there an easy answer for having all of the rural hospitals in the state? Should we expect travel for healthcare to a bigger city if we need it? Admittedly I don’t know the “right” answer but it seems that if things don’t pay for themselves there has to be some kind of recourse. Feels like a lot of growing pains that have some tie to the US becoming less agrarian. Thoughts?

I have no idea but the only thing that’s really a necessity is having an emergency room close right?

By close I mean within a reasonable distance to save someone’s life.

Driving an hour for a planned procedure shouldn’t be that big of deal in 2025.

Again, before anyone preaches to me, I’m asking. If you have a different opinion please clearly and CONCISELY state why.

 

[GloryDawg]

I think in Mississippi it's a big nothing.

Maybe. Problem is, for a lot of poor rural people, travel isn't easy. Of course, that goes for everything else too, not just medical care. Groceries, etc.

At least in an emergency you can call an ambulance. Some groceries stores will deliver to rural areas.

 

[AttalaDawg72]

We really do need to make strides as a state in healthcare and overall health.

 

[johnson86-1]

Yes. We have too many "hospitals" anyway. There's hospital in Greenwood and less than 30 miles to the north there's one in Grenada and less than 30 miles east there's one in Y-known-er. An hour or so to the west, I'm sure there's one in Greenville. Up though the 70s/80s, before folks starting traveling outside their community on a regular basis (and doctors would actually come back to their hometowns to practice), these hospitals were busy. Now folks from Greenwood regularly go to Jxn, Oxghanistan and Memphis for anything more serious than a sinus infection. Many years ago, my oldest son got a deep cut from a tree climbing incident, I hightailed to St D rather than the aforementioned options.

That's really not too many hospitals. You're talking about hospitals that allow people to not have to travel 30+ minutes to get help for a heart attack, stroke, serious injury, etc. It may not be feasible because of the way we've broken healthcare, but it's not like a hospital is some rare delicacy that shouldn't be found in a county with 30k people.

 

[paindonthurt]

Maybe a collection of emergent care facilities that covers rural areas and travel to larger areas for scheduled things?

This seems like a logical good start.

 

[paindonthurt]

How do you know this? Just sounds like more 'cut cut cut cut cut' talk to me.

How does he know there’s a hospital in greenwood and Grenada and Winona and Greenville?

The internet?
Phone book?
signs?

 

[paindonthurt]

Anyone that thinks healthcare should be limited due to location, doesn't really care about healthcare. MS spits on healthcare and education like no other state in this country already. Fewer healthcare facilities isn't the answer. We're simply the poorest state and that's what needs to be corrected.

Spitting on education? Seems like we are doing pretty good at it right now.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

This seems like a logical good start.

If I know anything about logical ideas it is that their nemesis is often emotional reactions.

 

[paindonthurt]

Naw, mane. Got to cut shlt. Waste, muh FrAuD, aBuSe!!!! Becawz Elon muh told me

In all seriousness, no one has ever told me a viable plan to ensure all the mythical 'savings' would be spent in an efficient way, or just wasted elsewhere.

How about just give the non mystical savings back to tax payers and let them spend it how they see fit?

 

[paindonthurt]

This isn’t going to fix it but no one ever really wants to talk about some of the real problems.

Supply and demand.

If you supply a bunch of money for healthcare (mandated insurance), then demand will go up.

Think college tuition and government loans.

 

[Duke Humphrey]

If I know anything about logical ideas it is that their nemesis is often emotional reactions.

As I was told by a office holder in Mississippi one time

"Thats a logical idea. What else does it have working against it?"

 

[mstateglfr]

Yes. We have too many "hospitals" anyway. There's hospital in Greenwood and less than 30 miles to the north there's one in Grenada and less than 30 miles east there's one in Y-known-er. An hour or so to the west, I'm sure there's one in Greenville. Up though the 70s/80s, before folks starting traveling outside their community on a regular basis (and doctors would actually come back to their hometowns to practice), these hospitals were busy. Now folks from Greenwood regularly go to Jxn, Oxghanistan and Memphis for anything more serious than a sinus infection. Many years ago, my oldest son got a deep cut from a tree climbing incident, I hightailed to St D rather than the aforementioned options.

There are too many hospitals in your rural region? Well thats a surprise position to read. Everywhere else the narrative from patients, employers, and care teams is that the lack of easy access is a detriment to people's health...but there are too many hospitals in your rural region.

I dont live there so I dont know if there are too many or if you are just bonkers on this subject. Your claim stood out since it is so different from basically every other rural area I have read about or listened about.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

How does he know there’s a hospital in greenwood and Grenada and Winona and Greenville?

The internet?
Phone book?
signs?

No, phlegm wad. How does he know that there are too many.

 

[msstatelp1]

Biggest problem is For Profit healthcare (meaning insurance companies) are designed to benefit the executives and the shareholders. The needs of the enrollees are of secondary or tertiary concern.

 

[Duke Humphrey]

There are too many hospitals in your rural region? Well thats a surprise position to read. Everywhere else the narrative from patients, employers, and care teams is that the lack of easy access is a detriment to people's health...but there are too many hospitals in your rural region.

I dont live there so I dont know if there are too many or if you are just bonkers on this subject. Your claim stood out since it is so different from basically every other rural area I have read about or listened about.

I do not know the OP intention, but I could make an argument there are too many competing systems in that region. Healthcare is all about volume, and that is one thing we do not have a lot of in Mississippi. All 4 hospitals he mentioned are owned and operated by a different system, slicing and dicing the "pie" every which way. Then you have your population that travels to Memphis, Oxford, Jackson, etc for their care, leaving usually the sickest, non-insured, least educated to be served by those systems,

That is the problem with OCH, for a town with a pretty good patient pay mix, the volume was not there to sustain the type of healthcare system that was needed in a growing, college town. Starkville's population would go to Tupelo (who had clinics in Starkville), Columbus (who had clinics in Starkville), Jackson (who had clinics in Starkville), Birmingham, etc. When you divy the pie up that many ways, its hard to sustain the level needed.

ETA: Greenwood, Greenville, and Starkville are all owned by the county, and I think in the year 2025, a county government running a hospital system not the best form of management. Starkville is in the process of selling, but about 25 years too late.

 

[paindonthurt]

No, phlegm wad. How does he know that there are too many.

Well if you have that many hospitals in a defined radius and all of them are struggling financially…..