The Louisiana Legislature wrapped up its 2014 regular session without tackling many of the state’s critical challenges, according to a new report by the Louisiana Budget Project. While legislators largely avoided the destructive cuts that have become the norm in recent years, they failed to address the state’s structural budget problems or take advantage of opportunities to help low-income families.
LBP reviews the 2014 Legislature Read More »
Millions of dollars in unnecessary tax penalties for some Louisiana businesses could be coming in 2015 due to Gov. Bobby Jindal’s ill-advised decision to block access to health coverage for hundreds of thousands of low-income workers.
Louisiana’s coverage rejection means federal tax hike for some companies Read More »
If you were too filled with holiday mirth to check the morning papers – especially the Saturday before Christmas — you may have missed the fact that the venerable Public Affairs Research Council released a detailed analysis of the privatization of Louisiana’s charity hospitals.
But the 45-page report deserves a close reading, and not just because it echoes many of the concerns raised by LBP and others in the past year. While the jury is still out on whether the partnerships will improve quality and control costs, as Gov. Bobby Jindal touts, the report makes it clear that the deals lack sustainable long-term funding.
This, in turn, could lead to cuts in care, unless the Legislature is willing to make up the difference with an infusion of state dollars.
PAR report on charity hospital partnerships notes fiscal uncertainties Read More »
New federal data on poverty, income and health coverage released Thursday, Sept. 19 by the U.S. Census Bureau contains a treasure trove of information about how Louisiana families live and work. But here are five key trends that you should know about today’s data:
Five things to know about this year’s U.S. Census data Read More »
With major provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act set to take effect in just a few months, misconceptions and misplaced fears about the law continue to circulate. Most of these fears center on alleged increases in costs due to the law’s provisions. But the truth is that most Louisianans who have health insurance will notice little or no change come Jan. 1. At the same time, many of their uninsured neighbors and local small businesses will gain access to affordable coverage.
Despite fears, Affordable Care Act will live up to its name Read More »
