State Coverage Initiatives: State Profile: Mississippi

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Group	Income Eligibility
Children	200% FPL
Pregnant Women	185% FPL
Parents	27% FPL
SSI Disabled (non-elderly)	74% FPL

Medicaid, SCHIP, and Federal Authority ²

Section 1115 Waiver - In 2004, Mississippi received a waiver to provide Medicaid benefits to a select group of the formerly covered Poverty Level Aged & Disabled (PLAD) population after services had been discontinued. This waiver extends Medicaid coverage to the most needy of that population, those who are aged and disabled individuals with incomes up to 135 percent FPL who do not have Medicare coverage and to those who are aged and disabled individuals with income up to 135 percent of the FPL who have Medicare coverage but are end-stage renal disease patients on dialysis, cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation, transplant patients receiving anti-rejection drugs, and/or patients with mental illness receiving anti-psychotic medications.

Mississippi received CMS approval for an SCHIP employer buy-in program, but implementation has been put on hold indefinitely.

High-Risk Pool

The Mississippi Comprehensive Health Insurance Risk Pool Association became operational in 1992. The pool is financed by subscriber premiums and an assessment to insurers. The premium cap is set at 150 percent of comparable coverage in the private market at initial enrollment with a maximum of 175 percent of private coverage. At the end of 2005, just over 4,300 persons were enrolled in the program.


	Notes and Sources

Information presented in the profile was summarized in December 2006 from a review of state Web sites and reports, and through contacts with state officials. In most cases the profiles were reviewed by state officials; however, it is possible that states have implemented strategies that are not reflected in this profile.

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¹ This overview provides a general description of state coverage levels under their Medicaid and SCHIP programs, including coverage through waivers, as of October 2006. Health Management Associates researched eligibility information from state web sites, data from state reports, and verified through contacts with state officials during the fall of 2006. This does not reflect the specific eligibility categories or requirements. This is not intended to be a substitute for eligibility information provided by each state. Individuals interested in applying for these programs should contact the state directly for specific eligibility requirements.

² The profile only includes Medicaid and SCHIP waivers intended to make comprehensive expansions to the uninsured. At this time, the profiles do not include Family Planning, Pharmacy Plus waivers, or long-term care waivers.

³ Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on the Census Bureau's March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Survey.

⁴ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends. 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component.