Thu
Jun 2 2016
07:46 am
Louisiana gets Medicaid Expansion
By: bizgrrl

In January, his second day in office, the new Democratic governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, signed an executive order expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, fulfilling a campaign promise that will expand health coverage to hundreds of thousands of people in one of the nation's poorest states.

Department of Health and Hospitals [DHH] will begin the massive task Wednesday (June 1) of enrolling 375,000 people into the state’s expanded Medicaid program. The department’s goal is to get Medicaid insurance cards into the hands of more than half of the people eligible for the program by July 1.

Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana are the only southern states that have signed up for Medicaid expansion. Tennessee is among the eight other southern states that have elected to bypass healthcare for all. Thirty-two states, including Washington D.C., have adopted Medicaid expansion.

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bizgrrl's picture

In Tennessee, House Speaker

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2016/06/02 - 7:51am.

In Tennessee, House Speaker Beth Harwell continues with her meetings across the state on how to provide health services to citizens without insurance.

1. giving more support to clinics
2. providing primary care providers with more education on substance abuse
3. not adopt Medicaid expansion

Bbeanster's picture

Lame.

Submitted by Bbeanster on Thu, 2016/06/02 - 9:16am.
(in reply to bizgrrl)

Lame.

Anon's picture

Harwell's sham committee is a

Submitted by Anon (not verified) on Thu, 2016/06/02 - 11:03am.

Harwell's sham committee is a front to give the impression that something is being done. In the meantime, people are dying or going without healthcare.

Mary Wilson's picture

Harwell's Task Force charade...wasted time, and tax dollars

Submitted by Mary Wilson (not verified) on Thu, 2016/06/02 - 7:27pm.

I attended the Forum at Pellissippi State. Listening to the 'panel's comments before the program began, I got a heads up on how this non-fact finding performance was to go. Many of us who were members of the THCC all volunteer team heard stuff like this: "Oh yeah, we may have time for a few stories but frankly they are all alike". (I had come prepared to represent 4 persons who fell through the "GAP", and their stories we each totally different. Then Roger Kane did most of the talking..." we think most of these people are either obese or smoke or both". "We are going to find a conservative way going forward". And WE WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY FEDERAL MONEY for this problem.
The two female State Representatives on the Task force did not speak or ask any questions. There were several other State Reps there, like Jason Zachary who did not speak either. No one asked one question about the 6 rural hospitals that have closed because their patients had NO ACCESS to affordable insurance. The good part of the story was that were there,several of our Democratic Candidates who are running for those seats and believe me, they want to help some of the 300,000 who live in East Tennessee Get affordable health care. This dog and pony show was truly almost insulting to those who fell in Haslam's GAP who were there. And yesterday we learned that Scott County's only hospital is closing...for the 2nd time...and the major insurance corporations have raised their premiums over 35% and Blue Cross is cancelling service to UT Medical Center. Haslam's Commerce and Insurance Department allowed these insurance giants to abandon these patients. So get ready, GOP. Over 66% of Tennesseans believe that this Legislature should either vote to expand TennCare OR approve Insure Tennessee. Oh, I didn't get to tell my stories. One person has already died, and the other 3 do not trust our Tennessee government to do what is right.

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