Author Archives: cmshp

Prescription Drugs: Impact of Misuse and Accidental Overdose in Mississippi

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The death rate from drug overdose in the United States has tripled since 1991, and prescription drugs are cited as the primary cause of this increase.  Of particular concern are opioid pain relievers (e.g. oxycodone, methadone, and hydrocodone).  There are now more overdose deaths due to opioid pain medications than the total number caused by both cocaine and heroin.  Drug overdose now kills more people than motor crashes in the United States, and shows a similar trend in Mississippi.

The … Read more...

Implementing Sex-Related Education in Mississippi Public Schools – 2012

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During its 2011 Regular Session, the Mississippi Legislature enacted a law (§37-13-171) that required each local school board to adopt an abstinence-only or abstinence-plus policy on sex-related education by June 30, 2012, and to implement instruction by the 2012-2013 school year.  The Center for Mississippi Health Policy commissioned researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) to assess the implementation process.  The researchers surveyed middle and high school principals to gather information related to the policy adoption process, the curriculum … Read more...

Medicaid Expansion: An Overview of Potential Impacts in Mississippi

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Key Issues and Policy Considerations Related to Expanding Medicaid in Mississippi

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2012 decision that upheld the Affordable Care Act (ACA) struck down a portion of the law whereby the federal government could make continued Medicaid funding contingent on a state’s participation in expanding Medicaid eligibility. States now have the option of deciding whether or not to implement the expansion.  The Center for Mississippi Health Policy has published an Issue Brief that provides background information on … Read more...