September 08, 2006 East Jefferson Parish Medicaid Office to Reopen

BATON ROUGE, Sep 08, 2006 - In an effort to resume services in Hurricane Katrina-impacted areas, the Department of Health is reopening a Medicaid office in Metairie on Monday, Sept. 11.

The East Jefferson Medicaid Office has been closed for the past year due to building damages caused by Hurricane Katrina. Before Katrina, more than 30,000 East Jefferson Parish residents received Medicaid or LaCHIP benefits through this office.

East Jefferson Parish is the only area within DHH’s New Orleans region that has seen a net increase in Medicaid enrollment since Hurricane Katrina. Reopening the office will allow people to have access to Medicaid eligibility operations without having to travel outside their parish.

For several months after the office closure, Medicaid eligibility staff were located at temporary locations throughout the region, including FEMA Recovery Centers, to serve the public. In February, the Orleans Parish Medicaid office was the first of the three local offices to reopen at 1010 Common St. Since then, that office has been the primary location for recipients throughout the region for processing Medicaid applications and renewals.

The office will reopen in an adjacent suite within the building of the pre-Katrina location at 3229 36th St. in Metairie. The number for the East Jefferson Parish Medicaid Office is (504) 846-6960 and its fax number is (504) 846-6967.

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