A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that found Mississippi relies too much onrather than providing care in their communities.
The appeals court judges also wrote that a remedial order by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves, which sought to make changes in Mississippi’s mental health system, “vastly exceeds the scope of claimed liability.”. Republican Fitch applauded the ruling Wednesday, saying federal agencies have used the threat of lawsuits “to coerce Mississippi and other states into adopting their preferred policies and budget priorities.
The federal government issued a letter in 2011 saying Mississippi had done too little to provide mental health services outside mental hospitals. The U.S. Justice Department sued Mississippi in 2016.