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.

“We are improving lives in Louisiana by providing our working poor access to health coverage they’re already paying for with their federal tax dollars,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Louisiana is receiving national attention for the innovative ways we’re getting citizens covered. I hear from folks every day who say that Medicaid Expansion is saving lives, and, while we have much more work to do, I couldn’t be happier with where things stand today.”

According to Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Department of Health, the true measure of Healthy Louisiana will not be the number of people with health insurance, but the number of people whose lives are improving because they now have coverage.

“Today we are measuring enrollment. But, we will soon start to look at how many more women are getting mammograms and lessening their risk of breast cancer. We’ll look at the number of people who can see their primary care doctor instead of an emergency room. These are truly the measures that save lives and lead to better health,” Gee said. 

Some of the key enrollment statistics as of August 10, 2016 include:

  • Total Enrollment: 278,031.
  • Females make up about two-thirds of the total enrollment: 182,832 females, 95,199 males.
  • More than 111,400 new enrollees are between the ages of 25 and 39.
  • The three parishes with the highest total enrollment are Orleans (42,354), Jefferson (33,700) and East Baton Rouge (22,257).
  • 22,643 SNAP recipients have enrolled.
  • 66,423 people have enrolled either in-person, online or by telephone.
  • Average weekday traffic on the Healthy Louisiana website is greater than 4,000 visitors per day with more than 400 online applications completed daily.
  • Average weekday call volume is in excess of 7,900 calls.

The Department of Health will provide additional enrollment statistics as they become available. For more information, including how to enroll, visit Healthy.la.gov.

The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state residents. To learn more about LDH, visit www.ldh.la.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow LDH's Twitter account and Facebook.