Issue Position: Healthcare & Medicaid
Issue Position
Louisiana's Medicaid program has been growing rapidly with new federal regulations allowing for the expansion of the system to able-bodied citizens. Medicaid has ballooned by 33% in Louisiana due to expansion with less federal money than promised. It also accounted for 34.5% of total expenditures for the state in 2018 at $11.2 billion. There are not enough federal dollars coming to offset this high cost for taxpayers and no incentive for those utilizing the program to stop. Furthermore, many current users have dropped their own personal existing insurance in order to get on Medicaid. Lastly, the current system creates a "poverty trap" which encourages able-bodied citizens to work less and stay below the "income cliff." These were not the original intended goals of Medicaid.
The combination of these issues has lead Louisiana to be ranked 47th in the nation in healthcare access according to US News. Other states like Massachusetts (ranked 2nd) have taken steps in order to offset the huge expansion of Medicaid in the last few years. One of these steps was having a minimum level of insurance coverage for all citizens and subsidizing people who can't afford it.
Some solutions that may work towards getting Louisiana 40th in healthcare rates in 4 years would be following in other states footsteps and having work requirements for able-bodied users along with others ways of discouraging citizens from abusing the system. This would go along with Louisiana purging users by verifying eligibility on a regular basis and a comprehensive waiver. This waiver could include factors like consumer-oriented options, wellness incentives, and premium assistance. All of these would uphold the program integrity of the Louisiana Medicaid system. We cannot sustain this cost and must create a system that promotes non-disabled people to find healthcare elsewhere. By allowing instruments like Health Savings Accounts or introducing work requirements for able-bodied people while regularly verifying eligibility requirements to ensure there is no abuse of the system, Louisiana can contain the expansive cost of Medicaid.
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