Health & Medicaid

Over the last several years, Louisiana’s Medicaid program has grown by leaps and bounds, expanding the program to more than 400,000 able-bodied adults over the last two years and fundamentally hurting the individuals Medicaid was primarily designed to help. Reforming Medicaid should involve re-orienting the program’s focus on the vulnerable populations for which it was originally designed, while modernizing the delivery of care in ways that can lower costs and improve health outcomes for patients.

Commentary: Jindal Taking Right Approach to Affordable Care Act

Commentary: Jindal Taking Right Approach to Affordable Care Act

Supporters of the law argue that states should move quickly to create state insurance exchanges in order to ensure a higher level of state control, but this notion is an illusion. The law’s provisions would actually require Louisiana and its citizens to cede decision-making power to the federal government.

By Kevin Kane

Implications of SCOTUS Health Care Ruling for Louisiana

Implications of SCOTUS Health Care Ruling for Louisiana

Although the Supreme Court let most of the ACA stand, Louisiana policymakers can still play an important role in the health care reform debate. Most importantly, they should refuse to expand the state’s Medicaid rolls and take a wait-and-see approach to state insurance exchanges.

By Kevin Kane

Obama Health Care Exchange: Not the Answer for Louisiana

Obama Health Care Exchange: Not the Answer for Louisiana

Last week the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) published a response to our critique of the health insurance exchange proposed by Sen. Karen Carter Peterson in SB744. We have reviewed their arguments in favor of the exchange and find them unpersuasive.

By Kevin Kane

Five Reasons Not to Create ObamaCare Exchange

Five Reasons Not to Create ObamaCare Exchange

Louisiana should not devote resources to a program it won’t control and may soon be rendered obsolete This evening, Louisiana’s Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hear SB744. This bill would require Louisiana to create an “exchange” to facilitate the purchase and sale of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as...

By Kevin Kane

Boustany Rebukes Landrieu for Overlooking High Costs of Obama Health Care Law

Boustany Rebukes Landrieu for Overlooking High Costs of Obama Health Care Law

In response to a “Dear Friend” letter Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) sent to constituents reiterating her support for President Obama’s health care law, one of her Republican counterparts is calling for an “incremental” approach to health care reform that expands consumer choice and lowers costs

By Kevin Mooney

Doctors in the House: Cassidy and Fleming Call for “Price Transparency”

Doctors in the House: Cassidy and Fleming Call for “Price Transparency”

Republicans did not do enough to advance free market reforms within the health care system when they last controlled both houses of Congress, some of the medical doctors who now serve in the House have said. Rep. Fleming and Rep. Cassidy are both calling for reforms built around "price transparency."

By Kevin Mooney