About Us

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) has been a convener or integral part of all major consumer health policies in Mississippi since its inception over 28 years ago. By working within partnerships and building consensus about health policy issues, MHAP continues to shape the debate on issues that affect low-income families in Mississippi, with a specific focus on Medicaid education and advocacy. To learn more about our work, read our history and issues pages.

Mission

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program's mission is to improve health policies and practices in Mississippi, especially in support of the state's impoverished and underserved populations.

Vision

By providing Medicaid consumer assistance services and educating Mississippians on public health policies that strengthen Mississippi’s public health programs we will improve access to health care in Mississippi. The symbiotic relationship that exists between MHAP health policy education efforts and our consumer assistance work demonstrates a best practice model. While working to address the health policy barriers that Mississippi families face, our MHAP staff provides individualized assistance to directly confront the health and financial consequences of these policy obstacles.

Values

The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) is committed to improving health policies, and practices in the many impoverished communities of Mississippi. Utilizing an approach that encompasses consumer service, research, analysis and community education, MHAP works to focus the public health policy discussion on the core issues of community needs and citizen participation. Our MHAP health policy education efforts are then informed by this experience and prioritized according to the evolving needs of Mississippi families. MHAP considers program outcomes by looking beyond quantitative data measurement to also consider activities that result in health policy change.

Our History

Since 1992, the Mississippi Health Advocacy Program (MHAP) has made a difference in the state by empowering citizens to enter the policy process and by opening access to the health policy information and analysis. For over twenty-eight years, MHAP has strengthened the bonds of common interest among groups of different race and class backgrounds by keeping the focus of health policy debate on the core issues of community needs and citizen participation. By working within partnerships and building consensus about health policy issues, MHAP has shaped the debate on health care issues that affect families in Mississippi. MHAP has worked with a diverse array of partners that represent every person in the state. MHAP has been able to bring local and national media attention to health needs of all Mississippians and has been featured in media such as The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg News, Politico, HBO and PBS. As a result, MHAP has shaped the debate on issues of health care policy that affect all families in Mississippi. Through policy briefs, public testimony, polling, action alerts and community meetings, MHAP continues to serve as a resource that relays timely information about health care policy to community coalitions, providers, and policymakers.
© 2016 Mississippi Health Advocacy Program