House Bill 1316

AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO DEVELOP A MISSISSIPPI HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 PROGRAM BASED UPON THE FEDERAL HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF ALL MISSISSIPPIANS; TO SPECIFY THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE LEGISLATURE ON THE PROGRESS IN MEETING THE PROGRAM'S GOALS AND ON THE STATUS OF DISPARITIES IN HEALTH AMONG MINORITIES AND NONMINORITIES; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH MINORITY PHYSICIAN NETWORKS TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO EDUCATE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN HEALTH STATUS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS, HOSPITALS, AND MINORITY PHYSICIAN NETWORKS TO INCREASE THE PROPORTION OF HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS FROM MINORITY BACKGROUNDS; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH AND PROMOTE RESEARCH ON METHODS BY WHICH TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY LARGE MINORITY ENROLLMENTS; TO DIRECT THE DIVISION OF MEDICAID TO CONTRACT WITH AN ESTABLISHED MINORITY PHYSICIAN NETWORK THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED MINORITY PATIENTS; TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF MINORITY PHYSICIAN NETWORKS IN EACH SERVICE AREA TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO MEDICAID RECIPIENTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. For the purposes of this act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

(a) "Minority-owned" means at least fifty-one percent (51%) owned by minority persons who are members of an insular group that is of a particular racial, ethnic, or gender makeup or national origin, which has been subjected historically to disparate treatment due to identification in and with that group resulting in an underrepresentation of commercial or professional enterprises under the group's control, and whose management and daily operations are controlled by those persons.

(b) "Minority person" means a lawful, permanent resident of Mississippi who is:

(i) An African American, which is a person having origins in any of the racial groups of the African Diaspora;

(ii) A Hispanic American, which is a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, South America, Central America, or the Caribbean, regardless of race;

(iii) An Asian American, which is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands, including the Hawaiian Islands before 1778;

(iv) A Native American, which is a person who has origins in any of the Indian Tribes of North America before 1835; or

(v) An American woman.

(c) "Minority physician network" means a network of primary care physicians that is predominantly minority-owned, which has a collaborative partnership with a public college or university and a tax-exempt charitable corporation.

SECTION 2. (1) The State Department of Health shall develop and implement, using existing resources, the Mississippi Healthy People 2010 Program, based upon the federal Healthy People 2010 Program, designed to improve the health of all Mississippians by advancing the following goals:

(a) Increasing the quality and years of healthy life; and

(b) Eliminating health disparities among different segments of the population.

(2) The department shall report to the Legislature by December 31 of each year on the progress in meeting the program's goals and on the status of disparities in health among minorities and nonminorities, using health indicators that are consistent with those identified by the federal Healthy People 2010 Program.

(3) To reduce negative health consequences that result from ignoring racial and ethnic cultures, the department shall work with minority physician networks, as defined in Section 2 of this act, to develop programs to educate health care professionals about the importance of culture in health status. These programs shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a) The education of health care providers about the prevalence of specific health conditions among certain minority groups;

(b) The training of clinicians to be sensitive to cultural diversity among patients and to recognize that inherent biases can lead to disparate treatments;

(c) The creation of initiatives that educate private-sector health care and managed care organizations about the importance of cross-cultural training of health care professionals and the effect of that training on the professional-patient relationship; and

(d) The fostering of increased use of interpreter services in health care settings.

(4) The department shall work with the establishment of public and private partnerships with charitable organizations, hospitals, and minority physician networks to increase the proportion of health care professionals from minority backgrounds.

(5) The department shall work with and promote research on methods by which to reduce disparities in health care at colleges and universities that have historically large minority enrollments, including centers of excellence in this state identified by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, by working with the colleges, universities, and community representatives to encourage local minority students to pursue professions in health care.

SECTION 3. (1) The Division of Medicaid shall contract with an established minority physician network that provides services to historically underserved minority patients. The network must provide cost-effective Medicaid services and provide its primary care physicians with access to data and other management tools necessary to assist them in ensuring the appropriate use of services, including inpatient hospital services and pharmaceuticals.

(2) The division shall provide for the development and expansion of minority physician networks in each service area to provide services to Medicaid recipients who are eligible to participate under federal law and rules.

(3) The division shall reimburse the minority physician network as a fee-for-service provider for Medicaid services and shall also pay a case-management fee for primary care. Any savings shall be divided, with one-half (1/2) going to the minority physician network and one-half (1/2) going to the division.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004.