These MS nursing homes could close as Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ begins. Here’s what to know
Clarification: Nursing homes that received new scores after the report have been updated to show both the old score and the current score.
Eleven Mississippi nursing homes are listed as being at risk of shutting down pending budget cuts laid out in the GOP’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ according to a recent report.
The bill, which President Donald Trump signed into law July 4, extends his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was set to expire at the end of the year and increases spending for border security, the military and energy production.
The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is largely paid for by cuts in federal programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which some critics say will disproportionately impact lower-income households.
An Aug. 11 analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that as a result of the bill, resources for lower-income households will decrease while resources for households in the middle and top income brackets boost.
Before the bill was enacted, a Brown University School of Public Health report identified 597 nursing homes across the country, including 11 Mississippi nursing homes, that face great financial risk due to Medicaid cuts, according to a June 27 U.S. Senate Committee on Finance news release. The report was commissioned by four U.S. senators, according to the release.
Here’s what Mississippians should know about the potential closures.
How could the bill impact MS nursing homes?
Nursing home care is a required state benefit under Medicaid, so it will continue in all states, researchers at Brown University School of Public Health said in the June 23 report.
But some experts are concerned that Medicaid cuts will force states to freeze payment rates, making it harder to hire staff and operate facilities, especially for facilities with more Medicaid residents, which have less non-Medicaid revenue to help balance real rate reductions.
“More than 60% of nursing home residents rely on Medicaid to cover their care,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va, one of the senators that requested the report, said in the release. “We’re going to see facilities close, staffing levels drop, and quality of care decline – endangering lives and leaving families scrambling.”
Where did the data come from?
In June, four members of the U.S. Senate’s Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Brown University School of Public Health researchers asking about the potential impacts of Medicaid budget cuts on nursing homes.
Researchers then developed a model to identify nursing homes that could be at risk of closure.
What made nursing homes “at risk of closure?”
Based on national data from 2011-2023, researchers found the following three factors made nursing homes more vulnerable to closure under Medicaid cuts:
- A high amount, 85% or more, of residents on Medicaid
- Occupancy rates below 80%
- Ratings of 1- or 2-stars on the CMS Five-Star Quality Rating System (Some of the nursing home ratings have been updated since the report, with some earning 3 or 4 stars, according to Medicare.gov).
Which Mississippi nursing homes are vulnerable to closure?
Most of the nursing homes that could be impacted, aside from one, are located in urban or metropolitan areas, according to the data. Here’s a list of them, including their scores in each category, according to the report.
- Glenburney Health Care and Rehabilitation Center in Adams County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 98%
Occupancy rate: 63%
Star rating (out of 5): 1
- West Point Community Living Center in Clay County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 92%
Occupancy rate: 69%
Star rating (out of 5): 2, now 3
- Leakesville Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Inc. in Greene County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 97%
Occupancy rate: 75%
Star rating (out of 5): 2
- Pleasant Hills Community Living Center in Hinds County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 99%
Occupancy rate: 70%
Star rating (out of 5): 1
- Columbia Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Marion County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 97%
Occupancy rate: 64%
Star rating (out of 5): 1, now 4
- Diversicare of Batesville in Panola County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 88%
Occupancy rate: 78%
Star rating (out of 5): 2, now 3
- Pearl River County Nursing Home in Pearl River County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 97%
Occupancy rate: 72%
Star rating (out of 5): 1
- Longwood Community Living Center in Prentiss County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 98%
Occupancy rate: 73%
Star rating (out of 5): 2
- Azalea Gardens Nursing Center in Stone County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 98%
Occupancy rate: 69%
Star rating (out of 5): 1, now 4
- River Heights Healthcare Center in Washington County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 98%
Occupancy rate: 73%
Star rating (out of 5): 1
- Mississippi Care Center of Greenville in Washington County
Residents with Medicaid as primary payment: 95%
Occupancy rate: 65%
Star rating (out of 5): 1
This story was originally published August 14, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
