Author: Zach Smith, LLM
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Medical Marijuana Programs | 2021 Issue Brief
Commonality of State Policies & Practical Challenges to Implementation To download the print-friendly version, click here. Medical Marijuana Laws (MMLs) have gained support in scientific communities, therapeutic circles, and public opinion over several decades.2,6 Seventy-four percent of Mississippi voters approved an MML during the November 2020 referendum vote.11 Research shows…
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Medical Marijuana | 2020 Issue Brief
Mississippi Ballot Initiative 2020 To download the print-friendly version, click here. | To download the source appendix, click here. Currently, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana, Mississippi has added a ballot measure for public vote on the legalization of medical marijuana in 2020. As recently as 2015 over half the…
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Youth Sports-Related Concussion | 2019 Issue Brief
To download the print-friendly version of this issue brief, click here. Key Points What Is a Concussion?A concussion is an injury caused by direct or indirect force to the brain precipitating a disruption of brain function accompanied by a range of symptoms and signs of altered cognitive function. Though the…
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How the Medical Loss Ratio Impacts Mississippi
MLR provision may result in an estimated $1.3 billion market rebateThe Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision, an often-forgotten part of the Affordable Care Act behind more well-known provisions, such as individuals being allowed access to insurance with a pre-existing condition or individuals being allowed to stay on their parent’s insurance…
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Freestanding Emergency Departments and Micro-hospitals
Two Models that May Help Mississippi Communities Affected by Rural Hospital ClosuresIn a recent report by Navigant Consulting, 48% of Mississippi’s rural hospitals were rated as a high financial risk.
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Syringe Services Programs | 2019 Issue Brief
Impact on the Spread of Communicable Diseases Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) are community-based programs that provide access to sterile needles and syringes free of cost and facilitate safe disposal of used needles and syringes to prevent the spread of disease. Given the controversial nature of SSPs, they have produced a…
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Mississippi Highlighted in the Plan to Eradicate HIV/AIDS
Advancements and Allocations Present New Opportunities for Individuals with HIVIn the Trump administration’s most recent fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget approximately $291 million dollars has been allocated to defeat the HIV/AIDs epidemic in America. With the advancements in HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications…
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Welcome To Policy Points
Serving as a catalyst for healthy policy debate through facts and evidence-based policy.Data, always key in the Center’s work, have been the cornerstone of successful public health interventions since John Snow saved the lives of hundreds in London’s 1854 cholera outbreak through the data-informed removal of the handle from a…
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Mississippi Medicaid Tobacco-Related Cost | 2018 Issue Brief
To read the print-friendly version, click here. | To read the full report, click here. The negative effects of tobacco usage on health have been well studied, andthere is a growing body of evidence documenting the increased risk for specific diseases associated with tobacco use. This higher risk calculates into…
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Health Insurance Coverage & the ACA | 2018 Issue Brief
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Mississippi AdultsThis brief summarizes results from a survey conducted in September and October of 2013 of non-elderly Mississippi adults related to their health insurance coverage and knowledge of new options available beginning in 2014, as well as components of the Affordable Care Act.