§ 41-9-201. Short title
This article is entitled and may be cited as the Mississippi Rural Hospital Flexibility Act of 1998.
§ 41-9-203. State policy
It is the policy of the State of Mississippi to provide improved access to hospital and other health services for rural residents of the State of Mississippi and to promote regionalization of rural health services in Mississippi.
§ 41-9-205. Definitions
When used in this article, the following definitions shall apply, unless the context indicates otherwise: “Act” means the Mississippi Rural Hospital Flexibility Act of 1998. “Critical access hospital” means a hospital which has been designated as a critical access hospital by the department in accordance with the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, as provided for […]
§ 41-9-207. State rural health-care plan
The department is hereby authorized, in accordance with the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, as authorized by Section 4201 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Public Law 105-33, to develop for the State of Mississippi a state rural health-care plan that (a) provides for the creation of one or more rural health networks in […]
§ 41-9-209. Designation as a critical access hospital
Any hospital is authorized to seek designation as a critical access hospital. Subject to federal law, there shall be no requirement or limitation regarding the distance that a critical access hospital must be located from another hospital. The bed-size limit for a critical access hospital is twenty-five (25) operational acute care beds, and the average […]
§ 41-9-210. Critical access hospitals authorized to bank licensed hospital acute care beds; banked beds may be relicensed without certificate of need
If a hospital seeks a new license from the department in order to be designated as a critical access hospital, the department shall maintain a record of the acute care beds of that hospital that have been delicensed as a result of that designation and continue counting those beds as part of the state’s total […]
§ 41-9-211. Formation of a rural health network not subject to antitrust laws
In forming an integrated network and in contracting for services, members of a rural health network and officers, agents, representatives, employees and directors of any member thereof shall be considered to be acting pursuant to clearly expressed state policy as established in Sections 41-9-201 through 41-9-217 under the supervision of the State of Mississippi and […]
§ 41-9-213. Rules and regulations
The department shall adopt, in accordance with Section 25-43-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, rules and regulations for the establishment and operation of rural health networks, including the designation of critical access hospitals of rural areas and minimum standards, as necessary, for such critical access hospitals.
§ 41-9-215. Insurance and other coverage to provide benefits for services performed by critical access hospitals
Each individual and group policy of accident and sickness insurance, each contract issued by health maintenance organizations, and all coverage maintained by an entity authorized under any article of Chapter 41, Title 83 of the Mississippi Code of 1972, shall provide benefits for services when performed by a critical access hospital if such services would […]
§ 41-9-217. Additional personnel
The department is hereby authorized to hire additional personnel to implement Sections 41-9-201 through 41-9-217 pursuant to specific appropriations to the department for such purposes.