Opp Mayor H.D. Edgar said the city council would have a special meeting tonight to “help assist our hospital in maintaining the high level of health care we have in our community.”

The called meeting, which will be at 5:30 at city hall, is for a special resolution to collect a special revenue tax at Mizell Memorial Hospital. The tax, which is 3.97 percent of the hospital’s revenues (an estimated $533, 200), will be submitted to the Alabama State Medicaid Agency, where it will then be matched more than 100 percent.

“I’m not sure exactly how much the agency will pay back to Mizell, but I know it’s going to be matched and also returned with something extra,” Edgar said. “It’s a windfall for the hospital.”

According to the resolution, the tax is based on “the net patient revenues of the acute inpatient not-for-profit health care establishments” in Opp, from a period of Oct. 1, 2008, through July 31, 2009. It adds, “the revenue generated from this tax will be submitted to the Alabama State Medicaid Agency for matching funds for payment of the Upper Payment Limit from CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).”

Edgar further explained the tax is based on the hospital’s net revenues — no clients paid any extra taxes for their health care services during that time period.

“This is based on what the hospital had for net profit during that time period,” he said. “It’s not the citizens of Opp — this isn’t costing the citizens of Opp one penny. But it will definitely help the hospital stay in business.

“This is one way that we can assist our hospital in maintaining the high level of health care that we have in our community.”

Edgar said the called meeting is necessary because the program has a strict timeline. No additional business will be considered at the meeting.

Attempts to reach administrators at Mizell Memorial Hospital for comment were unsuccessful.