Medicaid

Nearly 12,000 adults, newly enrolled in Medicaid, have received preventative health care services since Medicaid eligibility was expanded on July 1. In addition, more than 305,000 new members have enrolled in the program.

One of the biggest health care stories these days doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. It is the slow-but-steady expansion of Medicaid, the program that’s been providing insurance to the poor since the 1960s, as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If you follow the political debates about “Obamacare,” chances are you hear much more about changes to the private insurance market and what those changes mean for consumers.

Due to the recent flooding, many Louisiana Medicaid recipients are in need of essential medications. Here is some important information for anyone seeking to get a refill of their prescription medications.

Medicaid recipients who live in one of the declared disaster parishes caused by the August 2016 flooding, and who need to replace equipment or supplies previously approved by Medicaid, may contact either a Medicaid enrolled or Health Plan contracted durable medical equipment (DME) provider of their choice to obtain a replacement. For Medicaid enrolled providers, the provider must make a request to Molina’s Prior Authorization Unit; however, a new prescription and medical documentation are not required.

Due to the recent flooding, many Louisiana Medicaid recipients are in need of essential medications.

Since expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover working adults on July 1, more than 278,000 people have gained access to preventive and primary care through the Healthy Louisiana program. With a goal of covering 375,000 people by next June, the State has reached 73 percent of its coverage target in less than 50 days.

On June 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is now allowing states to pay for mosquito repellent for Medicaid enrollees as a Zika virus prevention measure.

Patients burst into tears at this city’s glistening new charity hospital when they learned they could get Medicaid health insurance.

In a coordinated effort to help eligible adults enroll into the newly expanded Medicaid program, or Healthy Louisiana, a unique partnership has been formed between hospitals and the state’s Medicaid program.

While expanding Medicaid coverage is going to be a chore in some places for health care providers, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ decision to expand the program to the working poor will benefit Louisiana both in the short run and in the longer term.