Mississippi

Mississippi was awarded $205.9M through the Rural Health Transformation Program to strengthen rural healthcare by expanding access, improving workforce, modernizing infrastructure, and care coordination with a major contractual budget for future initiatives. Reporting restrictions on contractual funding were lifted upon submission of sufficient details. Specific subrecipient funding will be determined upon future selection and CMS review. Key contacts: Kristen Windham Kristen.Windham@govreeves.ms.gov; Anne Hall Brashier annehall.brashier@govreeves.ms.gov; Chris Clark christopher.clark@cms.hhs.gov; Jacqueline Higgins jacqueline.higgins1@cms.hhs.gov Event schedule: - Federal Award Date - 04/20/2026 - Budget Period Start - 12/29/2025 - Budget Period End - 10/30/2026 - Period of Performance End - 10/30/2030

Mississippi has secured a $205 million award for a five-year Rural Health Transformation Program to support and sustain rural healthcare through multiple initiatives. Funding opportunities for Workforce Expansion, Psychiatric Emergency Services - EmPATH Units, and EMS Capacity Assessment are now live.

Mississippi has been awarded $205 million as the first budget period of a historic five-year Rural Health Transformation Program grant, part of a major federal investment in rural healthcare. The state is launching multiple initiatives including workforce expansion, technology advancement, telehealth, and infrastructure improvement to transform care delivery across rural communities. Application opportunities for specific initiatives are now open or forthcoming, pending final program details.

Mississippi received over $205 million in federal RHTP funding for 2026 to address rural health challenges statewide. The program targets workforce shortages, care access, infrastructure gaps, and technology modernization, with specific initiatives and measurable targets for EMS, telehealth, workforce expansion, health IT, and behavioral health. Governance is coordinated through the Governor’s Office, state agencies, and a third-party administrator, with layered accountability and continuous stakeholder engagement. Event schedule: - Statewide public survey launch - 07/01/2025 - Statewide - Statewide stakeholder forum - 08/01/2025 - Statewide - Quarter 1 Report Due - 10/15/2026 - Quarter 2 Report Due - 01/15/2027 - Quarter 3 Report Due - 04/15/2027 - Quarter 4 Report Due - 07/15/2027 - Annual CMS progress report due - 08/30/2027 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed - 2025-07-04 - United States

This RFP solicits proposals from qualified EQROs to conduct federally mandated external quality reviews of Mississippi Medicaid's managed care programs, including MississippiCAN and CHIP. The EQRO will be responsible for validation of performance improvement projects, performance measures, compliance reviews, and technical assistance to support continuous improvement. The selected entity is expected to adhere to the latest CMS protocols and submit comprehensive annual reports. Key contacts: Sharon Clark procurement@medicaid.ms.gov Event schedule: - Request for Proposal (RFP) Release - 07/31/2026 - CT - Deadline for Written Questions - 08/18/2026 - 2:00 PM CT - SharePoint Access Request Deadline - 09/09/2026 - 2:00 PM CT - Proposal Submission Deadline - 09/18/2026 - CT - Anticipated Date of Notice of Intent to Award - 10/22/2026 - CT - Public Procurement Review Board Meeting (Proposed) - 12/02/2026 - CT - Operational Period Begins - 12/03/2026 - CT - Submit AQS Criteria Tools - 2024-10-31 - Submitted to DOM

Mississippi's plan aims to ensure every rural resident has reliable access to quality health care by 2031. Initiatives include expanded telehealth, new workforce incentive programs, health IT upgrades, regional care integration, and capital projects addressing care gaps. The plan targets chronic and maternal health disparities, rural hospital stability, and sustainability beyond federal funding. Event schedule: - Rural Health Stakeholder Forum - 08/28/2025 - Mississippi (venue unspecified)

Mississippi Medicaid will request $1.51B for the SFY 2026 MHAP pools, with a focus on supporting rural and statewide hospital access through Fee Schedule Adjustments and Quality Incentive Payment Programs. Key quality improvement targets include hospital network participation, improved readmission and complication rates, enhanced health information exchange, and incorporating outpatient quality metrics. Hospitals must actively participate and submit required certifications to receive full incentive payments. Reconciliation processes and corrective action plans established for ongoing financial and quality accountability. Event schedule: - SFY 2026 Start Date - 07/01/2025 - CT - SFY 2026 End Date - 06/30/2026 - CT - Reconciliation encounter reports - March 2027 - CT - Final payment adjustments and report - April-May 2027 - CT

This Methodology Supplement outlines the Mississippi QIPP PPC approach to incentivizing quality improvement in Medicaid inpatient care. Statewide PPC performance for fiscal years 2019–2020 showed a weighted actual-to-expected ratio of 1.10, prompting targeted corrective action plans for underperforming hospitals. Incentives and penalties are based on hospital attainment and improvement of PPC performance, with a focus on reducing costly complications such as septicemia.

This report details an External Quality Review (EQR) of CY 2022 Medicaid and CHIP encounter data submitted by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Mississippi. While encounter data completeness met required state and federal thresholds, accuracy rates were consistently below the 98% benchmark. Recommendations are provided to improve the integrity and timeliness of managed care encounter submissions in Mississippi.

Mississippi QIPP will direct $50 million for value-based payments to hospitals, incentivizing quality and outcome improvements for Medicaid beneficiaries—including rural facilities. Payments are tied to performance in reducing potentially preventable hospital returns (PPHR), inpatient complications (PPC), and ambulatory complications (AM-PPC), with rigorous reporting and corrective action plan requirements. Notable emphasis on maternal health with the new MOMS initiative launching in SFY 2026.

The Mississippi Hospital Access Program (MHAP) directs over $533 million annually to Medicaid hospitals, splitting funding between a fee schedule adjustment and quality incentive payments, with an increasing proportion tied to outcomes and utilization quality. Rural hospitals may opt for cost-based reimbursement under new statutory authority. Medicaid's quality strategy includes intensive measurement and incentive arrangements, particularly for chronic and maternal health, with robust use of health information exchange data planned.

This FAQ provides comprehensive guidance for Mississippi’s RHTP stakeholders, outlining eligibility, funding process, and program priorities for the 2026 cycle. The program is focused on innovative, sustainable approaches to improve rural health, with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement and transparency. The first round of hospital-focused grant opportunities is expected to open June 15, 2026, with further details provided via the official website. Event schedule: - First Round of Funding Opportunities Released - 06/15/2026 - https://mississippirhtp.com - First Budget Period Ends - 10/30/2026 - All Funds Spent by End of Federal Fiscal Year 2027 - 09/30/2027

This document provides a public question and answer period for the Mississippi RHTP Psychiatric Emergency Services EmPATH Units grant application. It details start-up and operating budget components and clarifies billing strategies for applicants. Event schedule: - APPLICATION OPENS - 07/15/2026 - 2:00 PM CT - DEADLINE TO APPLY - 08/17/2026 - 5:00 PM CT

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