Louisiana Health Insurance

Louisiana DHH Creates Medicaid Reform Committee

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Alan Levine announced the appointment of a Medicaid Reform Committee that will help guide the agency in creating a reformed, patient-centered Medicaid system in the state of Louisiana. The Health Care Reform Act of 2007 (SB1) calls on DHH to implement a medical home system of care [...]

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Louisiana Officials Discuss Medicaid Changes

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt last week met with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and other policymakers to discuss changes to the state’s Medicaid program, among other issues, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. The meeting comes 18 months after the state rejected a Leavitt-backed plan to restructure safety net funding, according to the Times-Picayune. The meeting [...]

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Louisiana Moves On With Medical Home System Implementation

The head of Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) has appointed a Medicaid Reform Committee to help guide the agency in implementing a statewide “medical home” system called for by last year’s Health Care Reform Act (Louisiana Senate Bill 1). Analysts say the medical home model can provide effective patient-centered care, but its effectiveness [...]

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Louisiana Gov. Says Health Care Should Be Left Patients Doctors

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is about to unveil an overhauled Medicaid program for his state. It remains to be seen whether he is going to do it correctly and whether the federal government will support him. He has hinted that he understands the healthcare system’s problems. Governor Jindal is a Republican governor. The Republican [...]

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Louisiana Health First Medicaid Overhaul Plan Unveiled

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine on Friday announced details of the Louisiana Health First initiative, a pilot program aimed at restructuring the state’s Medicaid program by shifting thousands of low-income children and adults from the current fee-for-service model to private managed care networks, the Baton [...]

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Louisiana Medicaid Overhaul Plan Similar To Republican Efforts

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) “recently announced a major renovation of the way his state provides health coverage to the poor and uninsured, thus taking up a topic for which most Republicans require a shot of epinephrine just to pay attention,” a Wall Street Journal editorial states. As part of his proposal, Jindal “plans to [...]

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Louisiana Seeking Increased Guidance On Medicaid Overhaul Plan

Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine is seeking further guidance from lawmakers on how to restructure the state’s Medicaid program, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. The 2007 Legislature approved legislation that provides the framework for overhauling Medicaid and is centered on establishing “medical networks of care.” Under the plan, the state would [...]

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Louisiana Medicaid Spending Reaches Max For Federal Matching Funds

Louisiana Medicaid spending soon will outpace education, law enforcement, infrastructure and other state budget items if growth of the program is not contained, state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said on Friday at the annual meeting of the Council for A Better Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. Medicaid provides health coverage [...]

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Louisiana Underlines Need For Health Care Reform

A national medical specialty organization says Louisiana’s health care system is well prepared for disasters, but in poor shape for its public preventive health care, access to emergency care and health quality. The American College of Emergency Physicians’ (ACEP) National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine confirms other recent reports that give high [...]

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Louisiana Seeks Federal SCHIP Reimbursement

State Children’s Health Insurance Program Louisiana is seeking about $2.5 million in federal SCHIP reimbursementsfor prenatal care provided to pregnant women who are not U.S. citizens,the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. The state expanded LaCHIP,the states version of SCHIP, earlier this year, and since July, it hasprovided prenatal care to about 1,061 noncitizens. The expansion cost$3.17 [...]

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Effort To Promote Changes To Louisiana Health Care System

The Louisiana Business Group on Health has launched a statewide effort to promote changes to the state health care system, the Baton Rouge Advocatereports. According to Butch Passman, CEO of the group, the effort seeksto prompt discussions on major health care policy areas, such as costshifting; expansion of health insurance; quality of care and benefits;purchasing [...]

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Louisiana Health Care Coalition Proposes Insurance Vouchers

The Coalition of Leaders for Louisiana Health Care on Tuesday proposeda plan to divert federal funds from the New Orleans’ charity hospitalsystem to a free-market model that would provide residents withinsurance cards to the physician of their choice, the New Orleans Times-Picayunereports. The coalition suggested redirecting about half of the %26quot;federaldisproportionate share hospitals%26quot; payments to [...]

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