MS HB336

Limits county financial responsibility for treatment costs of indigent mentally ill patients under commitment orders to either an agreed-upon fee schedule with the treatment facility or the Mississippi Medicaid reimbursement rate, whichever applies.

Prohibits a patient's indigent or pauper status from being sufficient grounds for a court to order jail detention as a holding facility pending psychiatric evaluation or treatment.

Requires counties to cover costs of prehearing placement or detention at licensed medical facilities for indigent patients with no payor source, but caps liability at the Medicaid reimbursement rate.

For indigent patients where state mental health beds are unavailable and treatment is court-ordered, counties must negotiate costs with treatment facilities but cannot be charged more than the Medicaid reimbursement rate.

Effective July 1, 2024.