2013 Mississippi Code
Title 41 - PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 107 - HEALTH CARE RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE
§ 41-107-9 - Rights of conscience of health-care payers

(1) Rights of Conscience. A health-care payer has the right to decline to pay, and no health-care payer shall be required to pay for or arrange for the payment of a health-care service that violates its conscience. However, this subsection does not allow a health-care payer to decline to pay or arrange for the payment of a health-care service regarding a patient because of the patient's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed or sexual orientation.

(2) Immunity from Liability. No health-care payer and no person, association, corporation or other entity that owns, operates, supervises or manages a health-care payer shall be civilly or criminally liable by reason of the health-care payer's declining to pay for or arrange for the payment of a health-care service that violates its conscience. However, this subsection does not exempt from liability a health-care payer, or the owner, operator, supervisor or manager of a health-care payer, for declining to pay or arranging for the payment of a health-care service regarding a patient because of the patient's race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, religion, creed or sexual orientation.

(3) Discrimination. It shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any health-care payer, or any person, association, corporation, or other entity (a) attempting to establish a new health-care payer, or (b) operating an existing health-care payer, in any manner, including, but not limited to, any denial, deprivation, or disqualification with respect to licensure, aid, assistance, benefit, privilege or authorization, including, but not limited to, any authorization to create, expand, improve, acquire, affiliate or merge with any health-care payer, because a health-care payer, or a person, association, corporation or other entity planning, proposing or operating a health-care payer declines to pay for or arrange for the payment of any health-care service that violates its conscience.

(4) Denial of Aid or Benefits. It shall be unlawful for any public official, agency, institution or entity to deny any form of aid, assistance, grants, or benefits or in any other manner coerce, disqualify or discriminate against any health-care payer, or any person, association, corporation or other entity attempting to establish a new health-care payer or operating an existing health-care payer because the existing or proposed health-care payer declines to pay for, or arrange for the payment of, any health-care service that is contrary to its conscience.