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 thirty 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 Kaiser Health News, 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.
MHAP has been providing health coverage education and assistance to Mississippi families since 2009. Our consumer assistance program, Health Help Mississippi (HHM), previously maintained locations in Greenville, Starkville, Jackson, and Hattiesburg. MHAP maintains a statewide, toll free, assistance hotline.
Throughout its history, MHAP has developed and managed both private and governmental public interest health grants. The administration of each grant recognized the power of working with other organizations to achieve policy change. From issues of Medicaid defense and ACA implementation to the more recent Medicaid expansion campaign and state-wide consumer assistance program, MHAP has always worked with community-based organizations and intensified its efforts throughout the strength of many.
