File under "We told you so": Hancock County's only hospital on the brink

Dire news out of Hancock County today as the county's only hospital looks for $6.1M to shore up its budget.   From WLOX:

Hospital leaders says they need the bond to finish post-Katrina reconstruction work and to resolve operating issues that have come up due to patients who fail to pay for services. 

The CEO declined to go on camera, but in a news release stated they also need the money to make up for decreasing federal reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare. 

"It was almost a sense of shock and urgency," said District 5 Supervisor Tony Wayne Ladner.

Hancock County residents are now facing at a possible tax increase to fund the hospital's shortfall.

So let me walk you through this:

1. First of all, Hancock Medical Center CEO Craig Cudworth did more than just refuse to go on camera for WLOX.  During the special session dealing with Medicaid expansion, Cudworth refused to lobby for Medicaid expansion.  
2. That same Medicaid expansion, paid for by taxpayers from places like New York and California, would have helped solve the budget problem Hancock Medical now faces.  But as we know, Medicaid expansion didn't happen.  
3. So now, the taxpayers of Hancock County are faced with a potential tax increase to make up the hole in the budget created by "decreasing federal reimbursements from Medicaid and Medicare."

Now, don't think this is a one-time problem, or that it won't affect your local hospital.  Bear in mind that the Medicaid and Medicare DSH payment cuts are going to increase in severity going forward.  Hancock Medical is just the canary in the coal mine.

Senator Cochran warned us of this, if you'll recall.  

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDERS IN PLACE AT 2 PM TODAY IN HANCOCK COUNTY

Here is the latest press release from the Hancock County Emergency Management Agency, which contains information about voluntary evacuation orders as well as sandbag and shelter locations (h/t David Baria Campaign Facebook page):

Buccaneer State Park one step closer to reclaiming its former glory

Hancock County's Buccaneer State Park, once the only revenue-producing state park in Mississippi, is one step closer to returning to its glory days. Prior to Katrina, Buccaneer sported the immensely popular Buccaneer Bay Water Park, which helped to draw upwards of 500,000 visitors to Hancock County each year. Katrina, of course, took all of that away.

Buccaneer partially reopened to the public in May of 2010. Lacking funds for a complete reconstruction, though, the park isn't what it used to be. Thanks to the work of Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis), that may be about to change. Last week, Baria inserted language into a $90M bond bill that would provide $6M in funds for the reconstruction of the missing parts of Buccaneer State Park. The bill passed the Senate, and now awaits House action. If successful, Baria's efforts will likely bring back the $800,000-$900,000 profit Buccaneer saw each year, and the thousands in tax revenue that accompanied that.