Louisiana House Approves Plan To Use Local Health Funds To Increase Federal Medicaid Money

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 22 May 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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The Louisiana House on Thursday voted 101-0 to approve a bill... (HB 565) that would allow state officials to seek federal permission to use local government health care funds to attract additional Medicaid money, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports (Schuler, Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/20). The state House Appropriations Committee approved the bill on Tuesday. State Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Fred Cerise said the bill would create a "flexible funding" pool made up of local and federal money, and local governments could use the funds for direct care services or to assist uninsured people in purchasing health coverage. The bill could bring in about $300 million in additional federal Medicaid dollars, according to the Advocate. Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) has endorsed the plan. If the Legislature approves the measure, it would need CMS approval to become law. Cerise said CMS has encouraged the state to move forward with the plan (Shuler, Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/18). The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration (Baton Rouge Advocate, 5/20).

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