JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A report commissioned by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health confirms federal findings that the state has spent more on institutional care than community-based services for people with mental disabilities.
The state released the report Saturday after settlement with The Clarion-Ledger . The newspaper fought a legal battle for public disclosure of the $300,000 taxpayer-funded document.
The report found institutional treatment has made up "a disproportionately large share" of spending.
The Technical Assistance Collaborative is a Boston-based nonprofit group hired by the state. It analyzed Medicaid fee-for-service information for budget years 2010 through 2014; and managed care information for 2013 and 2014.
The report said use and spending trends for home- and community-based services "are largely in the right direction," but more work is needed to promote those services.
