Mississippi House Bill HB1152

Mississippi 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/20/25
• Refer: 1/20/25
• Failed: 2/4/25

Caption

CON; certain health care facilities that relinquished CON for inpatient psych services may have those beds licensed as separate entity.

Impact

The bill requires the Mississippi State Department of Health to issue a separate CON to the newly formed psychiatric facility. It mandates the maintenance of separation between the psychiatric facility and the rural emergency hospital regarding licensing, operations, finances, and governance. This provision is meant to ensure that despite the association, each facility operates independently, catering to its specific patient populations and service needs. The bill is expected to enhance mental health service availability in rural areas by empowering facilities to adapt to changing federal regulations.

Summary

House Bill 1152 seeks to amend Section 41-7-191 of the Mississippi Code of 1972. The main focus of this bill is to allow healthcare facilities that have relinquished their certificate of need (CON) or license for inpatient psychiatric services due to converting from an acute care hospital or critical access hospital to a rural emergency hospital, the ability to license psychiatric inpatient beds as a separate entity. As long as the new applicant is associated with the rural emergency hospital, this change would facilitate the reinstatement of psychiatric services that might otherwise become limited due to such conversions.

Contention

While the bill aims to address gaps in psychiatric services, it could also lead to contention around the adequacy of healthcare staffing and funding for these newly separated facilities. Critics may raise concerns about the potential strain on state resources, and the capacity of newly licensed psychiatric facilities to sufficiently meet community mental health needs, especially in rural regions where access to healthcare has already been historically limited. Additionally, there might be discussions regarding the potential burden on healthcare regulation and oversight accompanying this dual licensing structure.