October 20, 2016 Louisiana Medicaid Expansion Enrollment Exceeds 326,000 New Members

Baton Rouge, La., Oct 20, 2016 - The Louisiana Medicaid Expansion program has reached a new milestone. To date, more than 326,000 new members have enrolled in Louisiana Medicaid Expansion and over 24,000 of those members have received preventative care visits with a provider.

Preventative care is also known as a well visit or check-up.  New and preventative care visits may include immunizations, lab tests, physical exams and prescriptions. These visits allow health care providers to identify and educate patients about potential health risks.

Governor John Bel Edwards says that through expansion, we are continuing to create a better future for our families, friends, neighbors and all Louisiana residents.  

“The primary goal of expansion is to ensure better health outcomes for the working poor of Louisiana,” said Gov. Edwards.  “Early data show that expansion is working, and our people are getting the health care services they need.  Saving more than $184 million in the first year alone from expansion is important, but not nearly as important keeping the people of Louisiana healthy.  I’m grateful for the work of the Louisiana Department of Health for their proactive community engagement, and I have never been more certain that expansion was the right decision for Louisiana’s future.”

New members were able to enroll beginning June 1, and use their coverage beginning July 1. Early data shows that these members are already benefitting from coverage. 

• Over 24,600 members have received preventative care visits with a provider; 

• Almost 2,200 women have completed important screening and diagnostic breast imaging such as mammograms, MRI’s and ultrasounds; 

• Over 1,660 adults have completed colonoscopies; and 393 patients had precancerous polyps removed

• Treatment has begun for 288 adults newly diagnosed with diabetes; 

• and 676 patients have been newly diagnosed with hypertension.  

“Our goal is to create affordable access to health care for all Louisiana residents,” said Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. “This data shows that patients are accessing health care services which is the first step to better health.”

Through Healthy Louisiana, hundreds of thousands of people now have coverage that is similar to what other working Louisianans have through their employer-based coverage.  Providing access to preventive screenings and primary care treatment for adults through Healthy Louisiana has been the goal of the expanded Medicaid program. The program has a goal of covering 375,000 adults by next June. 

To track enrollment, the Department of Health has developed a dashboard tool on its Healthy Louisiana website, http://ldh.la.gov/healthyladashboard/. The dashboard shows total enrollment, enrollment by parish, by age and gender, and lives impacted by expansion and access to health care.

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.