Results for provider policy

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  For Employees

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  Surge Ambulance Policy and Procedures

  Surge ambulances provide additional coverage in emergency response to natural and man-made disasters. The Bureau of EMS works closely with the Louisiana Emergency Response Network (LERN), the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance (LAA), and other state stakeholders to coordinate this response.

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  About Coordinated System of Care (CSoC)

  In Louisiana, we have developed the Coordinated System of Care (CSoC), an approach to offering behavioral healthcare services for children/youth and their families that is based on a system of care values. Specific goals for CSoC include decreasing the number of youth in residential/detention settings, reducing the state's cost for providing services by leveraging Medicaid and other funding sources, and improving the overall outcomes for these children/youth and their caregivers.

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  Available Programs and Services

  Find available programs and services for lead poisoning prevention.

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  LDH expands the Louisiana Carrot Initiative to East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes - February 04, 2026

  The initiative provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients with a 30-cent bonus for every dollar spent on fresh produce at participating retailers.

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  NATP New Program Application Packet

  Information and instructions for requesting approval of NATP

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  2018 Medicaid Managed Care Transparency Report

  Managed Care 2.0 Amerigroup Healthy Blue AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana Healthcare Connections UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Aetna Better Health This report is the seventh in a series produced by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH or “the Department”) to satisfy statutory reporting requirements intended to ensure the following outcomes are being achieved by Louisiana’s Medicaid Managed Care Program (R.S. 40:1253.2):  improved care coordination with patient‐centered medical homes for Medicaid enrollees;  improved health outcomes and quality of care;  increased emphasis on disease prevention and the early diagnosis and management of chronic conditions;  improved access to Medicaid services;  improved accountability with a decrease in fraud, abuse and wasteful spending; and  a more financially stable Medicaid program. Beginning in February of 2012, the original Medicaid Managed Care Program included two models of coordinated care networks: full‐risk managed care organizations (MCOs) known as prepaid health plans, and primary care case management (PCCM) known as shared savings plans. The state contracted with three prepaid and two shared savings plans, and individuals were given the option of choosing the plan that best met their needs. However, not all Medicaid services were available from health plans, and some health plan members continued to receive certain services under the fee‐for‐service program. In addition, many individuals covered by Medicaid were not eligible to enroll in and receive services from a health plan. LDH has progressively integrated services and populations into the Medicaid Managed Care Program. The following timeline includes major milestones in the growth of the managed care program:  Pharmacy benefits were “carved‐in” to the prepaid plan benefit package on November 1, 2012.  Dental benefits have been provided to all Medicaid populations under a single Dental Benefits Program Manager (DBPM) since July 1, 2014.  The delivery model was transitioned from three full‐risk MCOs and two shared‐savings PCCMs to five full‐risk MCOs on February 1, 2015.  Hospice benefits were added on February 1, 2015.  Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) ‐ Personal Care Services were added on February 1, 2015.  Retroactive linkages to a Medicaid managed care plan were implemented on February 1, 2015.  Specialized behavioral health benefits were added on December 1, 2015.  Eligibility for Medicaid services was expanded to include the new adult population on July 1, 2016. Medicaid Expansion On July 1, 2016, the state expanded eligibility for the Louisiana Medicaid program to include adults ages 19 to 64 years old with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. In State Fiscal Year 2018, 587,912 unduplicated members were enrolled in a managed care plan through the expansion. In this transparency report, the expansion population is included in the reporting for full‐benefit members. Additional information specific to the new adult expansion population can be found on the “LDH Medicaid Expansion Dashboard” at http://www.ldh.la.gov/HealthyLaDashboard/. Transparency Report Measures and Data This report includes 27 measures as outlined in La. Revised Statute 40:1253.2. It covers program operations for July 2017 through June 2018 (State Fiscal Year 2018), except for the following measures which are reported on a calendar year basis per the contract between the Department and the managed care entities: Section 7 – Medical Loss Ratio Section 8 – Health Outcomes Section 9 – Member and Provider Satisfaction Surveys Section 10 – Audited Financial Statements Section 25 – Medicaid Drug Rebates Information included in this report was collected from multiple sources. To the greatest extent possible, the data are extracted from state systems that routinely collect and maintain operational data on the Medicaid Managed Care Program. When unavailable from state sources, data were collected from the managed care entities or sourced from either routine reporting deliverables1 or ad hoc reports requested specifically for this purpose. The Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and the Management Administrative Reporting Subsystem (MARS Data Warehouse or MDW) are maintained by the Medicaid program’s contracted fiscal intermediary, DXC Technologies (DXC), formerly Molina Healthcare. Detailed enrollee and provider information, as well as claims payment data for this report, were extracted from the MARS data warehouse. The state administrative system, called ISIS, maintained by the Office of Technology Services within the Division of Administration, was used to extract information on payments to the MCOs and Dental Benefits Plan Manager. As part of routine operations and as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), internal policies and procedures for collection of data were validated by the Department’s contracted external quality review organization (EQRO), Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO). In addition to standing operational quality assurances and EQRO reviews, the data included in this report were independently validated by Myers and Stauffer, an audit contractor of the Department. Myers and Stauffer reviewed for reasonability the data extraction code or process that the managed care entities or the Department used to generate data. For data originating from the MARS Data Warehouse or MMIS, Myers and Stauffer generated its own data from encounters or data extracts for each plan and compared its results to the results the Department produced. For data originating from the plans, Myers and Stauffer reviewed plan responses to a survey developed by Myers and Stauffer to document the process the plans used to generate the data, as well as policies and procedures in place to collect, track and report data. Where Myers and Stauffer found inconsistencies above or below the 10% variance threshold established by the Department, they made recommendations to the Department and/or the health plan to improve the method used to collect data. See Appendix XII for the survey instrument.

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  Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC)

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  LDH launches congenital syphilis prevention pilot to increase screening opportunities during pregnancy - September 25, 2024

  Screening for syphilis in pregnant women and treating it promptly when it is diagnosed is a critical strategy in preventing syphilis from being passed to newborns.

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  EarlySteps

  EarlySteps provides services to families with infants and toddlers aged birth to three years (36 months) who have a medical condition likely to result in a developmental delay, or who have developmental delays. Children with delays in cognitive, motor, vision, hearing, communication, social-emotional or adaptive development may be eligible for services.

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  Developmental Screening for Providers

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  Medicaid Notices & Public Comments

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  Louisiana Birth Defects Monitoring Network

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  LDH invites public comment on Reentry 1115 Demonstration Waiver application - August 12, 2024

  This new waiver would allow Louisiana Medicaid to provide approved services such as substance use treatment, case management and a 30-day supply of all prescription medications to eligible individuals upon release from incarceration.

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  Resource Allocation

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  Get More Information About Medicaid

  Medicaid helps low-income individuals and families get medical benefits. While the federal government sets some general rules, each state, including Louisiana, has its own requirements.

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  Medical Transportation Provider Resources

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  2021 Medicaid Managed Care Transparency Report

  Managed Care 2.0 Amerigroup Healthy Blue AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana Healthcare Connections UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Aetna Better Health This report is the eighth in a series produced by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH or “the Department”) to satisfy statutory reporting requirements intended to ensure the following outcomes are being achieved by Louisiana’s Medicaid managed care program (R.S. 40:1253.2): • Improved care coordination with patient-centered medical homes for Medicaid enrollees; • Improved health outcomes and quality of care; • Increased emphasis on disease prevention and the early diagnosis and management of chronic conditions; • Improved access to Medicaid services; • Improved accountability with a decrease in fraud, abuse and wasteful spending; and • A more financially stable Medicaid program. Beginning in February 2012, the original Medicaid managed care program included two models of coordinated care networks: a full-risk, managed care organization (MCO) model delivered by “prepaid health plans” and a primary care case management (PCCM) model delivered by “shared savings plans.” The state contracted with three prepaid and two shared savings health plans, and individuals were given the option of choosing the plan that best met their needs. Not all Medicaid services were available from health plans, and some enrollees continued to receive certain services under the fee-for-service program. In addition, some populations covered by Medicaid were not eligible to enroll in and receive services from a health plan. LDH has progressively integrated services and populations into the Medicaid managed care program. The following timeline includes major milestones in the growth of the managed care program: • Pharmacy benefits were “carved-in” to the prepaid plan benefit package on November 1, 2012. • The provision of dental benefits to all Medicaid populations was contracted to a single prepaid ambulatory health plan referred to as a “dental benefits program manager” (DBPM) beginning July 1, 2014. • The delivery model transitioned from three full-risk MCOs and two shared-savings PCCM models to five full-risk MCOs on February 1, 2015. • Hospice benefits were added on February 1, 2015. • Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) – Personal Care Services were added on February 1, 2015. • Retroactive linkages to a Medicaid managed care plan were implemented on February 1, 2015. • Specialized behavioral health benefits were added on December 1, 2015. • Non-emergency medical transportation and specialized behavioral health services were added on December 1, 2015 for enrollees not entitled to receive physical health services through an MCO. • Eligibility for Medicaid services expanded to include the new adult population on July 1, 2016. • Effective January 1, 2021, the DBPM program expanded to include a second contracted dental plan. • Effective January 1, 2021, coverage of dental services for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) moved from the fee-for-service program to coverage through one of the two DBPMs. Transparency Report Measures and Data This report includes 31 areas of measurement outlined in La. Revised Statute 40:1253.2 and covers program operations for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021. All measures are reported for the SFY, July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, except for the following that are reported on a calendar year basis per the contract between the Department and the managed care entities: Section 7 – Medical Loss Ratio, Section 8 – Health Outcomes, Section 9 – Member and Provider Satisfaction Surveys, and Section 10 – Audited Financial Statements. Beginning with the SFY 2020 report the format was updated to consolidate all data elements regarding the Dental Benefits Program into Sections 30 – 41. Information included in this report was collected from multiple sources. To the greatest extent possible, the data were extracted from state systems that routinely collect and maintain operational data on the Medicaid managed care program. When unavailable from state sources, data were collected from the managed care entities or sourced from either routine reporting deliverables1 or ad hoc reports requested specifically for this purpose. The Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and the Management Administrative Reporting Subsystem (MARS Data Warehouse or MDW) are maintained by the Medicaid program’s contracted fiscal intermediary, Gainwell. Detailed enrollee and provider information, as well as claims payment data for this report, was extracted from the MARS Data Warehouse. The state administrative system, called ISIS, maintained by the Office of Technology Services within the Division of Administration, was used to extract information on payments to the MCOs and DBPMs. As part of routine operations and as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), internal policies and procedures for collection of data were validated by the Department’s contracted External Quality Review Organization (EQRO), Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO). In addition to standing operational quality assurances and EQRO reviews, the data included in this report were independently validated by Myers and Stauffer, an audit contractor of the Department. Myers and Stauffer reviewed for reasonability the data extraction code or process that the managed care entities or the Department used to generate data. For data originating from the MARS Data Warehouse, Myers and Stauffer directly aggregated data from encounters or data extracts for each plan and compared its results to the results the Department produced. For data originating from the plans, Myers and Stauffer (MSLC) reviewed plan responses to a survey developed by Myers and Stauffer to document the process the plans used to generate the data as well as policies and procedures in place to collect, track and report data. Where Myers and Stauffer found inconsistencies above or below the 10% variance threshold established by the Department, it made recommendations to the Department or the health plan to improve the method used to collect data. See Appendices XVIII and XIX for the survey instruments.

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  2022 Medicaid Managed Care Transparency Report

  Managed Care 2.0 Amerigroup Healthy Blue AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana Healthcare Connections UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Aetna Better Health This report is the ninth in a series produced by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH, or the Department) to satisfy statutory reporting requirements intended to ensure the following outcomes are being achieved by Louisiana’s Medicaid managed care program (R.S. 40:1253.2): • Improved care coordination with patient-centered medical homes for Medicaid enrollees; • Improved health outcomes and quality of care; • Increased emphasis on disease prevention and the early diagnosis and management of chronic conditions; • Improved access to Medicaid services; • Improved accountability with a decrease in fraud, abuse, and wasteful spending; and • A more financially stable Medicaid program. Beginning in February 2012, the original Medicaid managed care program included two models of coordinated care networks: a full-risk, managed care organization (MCO) model delivered by prepaid health plans and a primary care case management (PCCM) model delivered by shared savings plans. The state contracted with three prepaid and two shared savings health plans, and individuals were given the option of choosing the plan that best met their needs. Not all Medicaid services are available from health plans, and some enrollees continue to receive certain services under the fee-for-service program. In addition, some populations covered by Medicaid were not eligible to enroll in and receive services from a health plan. LDH has progressively integrated services and populations into the Medicaid managed care program. The following timeline includes major milestones in the growth of the managed care program: • Pharmacy benefits were “carved-in” to the prepaid plan benefit package on November 1, 2012. • The provision of dental benefits to most Medicaid populations was contracted to a single prepaid ambulatory health plan referred to as a dental benefits program manager (DBPM) beginning July 1, 2014. • The delivery model transitioned from three full-risk MCOs and two shared-savings PCCM models to five full-risk MCOs on February 1, 2015. • Hospice benefits were added on February 1, 2015. • Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) – Personal Care Services were added on February 1, 2015. • Retroactive linkages to a Medicaid managed care plan were implemented on February 1, 2015. • Specialized behavioral health benefits were added on December 1, 2015. • Non-emergency medical transportation and specialized behavioral health services were added on December 1, 2015, for enrollees not entitled to receive physical health services through an MCO. • Eligibility for Medicaid services expanded to include the new adult population on July 1, 2016. • Effective January 1, 2021, the DBPM program expanded to include a second contracted dental plan. • Effective January 1, 2021, covered dental services (EPSDT and Adult Denture) for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) moved from the fee-for-service (FFS) program to coverage through one of the two DBPMs. Transparency Report Measures and Data This report includes 31 areas of measurement outlined in La. Revised Statute 40:1253.2 and covers program operations for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022. All measures are reported for the SFY, July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022, except for the following that are reported on a calendar year basis per the contract between the Department and the managed care entities: Section 7 – Medical Loss Ratio, Section 8 – Health Outcomes, Section 9 – Member and Provider Satisfaction Surveys, and Section 10 – Audited Financial Statements. The information included in this report was collected from multiple sources. To the greatest extent possible, the data were extracted from state systems that routinely collect and maintain operational data on the Medicaid managed care program. When unavailable from state sources, data were collected from the managed care entities or sourced from either routine reporting deliverables1 or ad hoc reports requested specifically for this purpose. The Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) and the Management Administrative Reporting Subsystem (MARS Data Warehouse, or MDW) are maintained by the Medicaid program’s contracted fiscal intermediary, Gainwell. Detailed enrollee and provider information, as well as claims payment data for this report, was extracted from the MARS Data Warehouse. The state administrative system, LaGOV Enterprise Resource Planning System – Finance Module (LaGOV) maintained by the Office of Technology Services within the Division of Administration, was used to extract information on payments to the MCOs and DBPMs. As part of routine operations and as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), internal policies and procedures for the collection of data were validated by the Department’s contracted External Quality Review Organization (EQRO), Island Peer Review Organization (IPRO). In addition to standing operational quality assurances and EQRO reviews, the data included in this report were independently validated by Myers and Stauffer, an audit contractor of the Department. Myers and Stauffer reviewed for reasonability the data extraction code or process that the managed care entities or the Department used to generate data. For data originating from the MARS Data Warehouse, Myers and Stauffer directly aggregated data from encounters or data extracts for each plan and compared its results to the results the Department produced. For data originating from the plans, Myers and Stauffer (MSLC) reviewed plan responses to a survey developed by Myers and Stauffer to document the process the plans used to generate the data as well as policies and procedures in place to collect, track and report data. Where Myers and Stauffer found inconsistencies above or below the 10% variance threshold established by the Department, it made recommendations to the Department or the health plan to improve the method used to collect data. See Appendix XIX and Appendix XX for the survey instruments.

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  Bureau of Laboratory Services