Louisiana Gov. Jindal's Administration To Work With Bush Administration On Medicaid Overhaul

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 07 Oct 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) administration believes there is still time to work out a compromise with the Bush administration to alter the state's Medicaid program, state Department of Health and Hospitals Deputy Secretary Sybil Richard said on Thursday to members of an advisory group assisting the development of the Louisiana Health First initiative, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Under the proposed pilot program, as many as 380,000 current Medicaid beneficiaries -- mostly children -- would be shifted from their current fee-for-service plans to managed care networks. Jindal's administration is hoping to begin the program in the Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Shreveport regions by mid-2010. The pilot requires approval from HHS, which covers approximately 70% of the state's Medicaid costs. The state also is seeking forgiveness of $771 million in "disallowances," which the state plans to spend to expand Medicaid coverage.

According to the Times-Picayune, state officials are seeking to receive approval before the Bush administration leaves office on Jan. 20, 2009, because they are concerned the change in administration could delay the process by up to one year. Richard said, "We'd have to re-educate the new administration," adding, "We'd have to make sure the new administration thought along the same lines as this administration."

Some advisory group members are concerned that the state is moving too quickly, the Times-Picayune reports. Stephen Taylor, a member of the state's Family Medicine Task Force, said, "I just feel lost in where we're going with this." Steven Spedale, a Baton Rouge pediatrician and member of the panel, questioned whether the program -- which would require Medicaid beneficiaries to choose between competing networks or have one selected for them -- would help the state meet its goal of improving quality and reducing overall costs (Moller, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 10/3).

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