Louisiana Plan To Cover Uninsured Could Cost Less Than Previously Estimated

The cost of a plan to redesign the New Orleans-area health care system for the uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries might not be as high as some recent estimates, officials said, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. The Louisiana Health Care Redesign Collaborative, which is led by Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Fred Cerise, last year proposed a plan to provide coverage to at least 80% of the estimated 127,000 uninsured New Orleans-area residents and expand Medicaid eligibility for children. “For at least two months, state leaders have said the plan … could cost more than $500 million a year,” the Times-Picayune reports. Cerise on Thursday “said it would not be prudent to quote an exact number” until after the state negotiates with HHS on “how generous the health benefits will be,” the Times-Picayune reports. However, the federal government has postponed two recently scheduled telephone conferences to discuss the proposal. Floyd Buras, a member of the redesign collaborative and former president of the Louisiana State Medical Society, said some models would cost significantly less than $500 million annually, but the $500 million figure is being pushed by lawmakers who are opposed to restructuring the health care system and want to maintain the Charity Hospital system (Moran, New Orleans Times-Picayune, 1/26).

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