The share of Louisianans who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace has decreased by 26% over the last year, one of the largest declines in the nation. That’s according to a recent report from KFF. The enrollment dip is due to Congress’ refusal to renew federal health care subsidies that kept coverage affordable. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Mark Ballard explains the human and financial consequences of that decision:
“We’ve seen 2,500 more uninsured patients visit our emergency departments during the first 6 months of 2026 compared to the same time in 2025,” [Chief government relations officer for the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System Inc. Ryan] Cross said, adding that uninsured behavioral health admissions increased 113% during the same time period. … That translates into financial losses for healthcare providers. Lake facilities, for instance, wrote off about $2.3 million more in bad debt for April through June – a 23.4% increase compared to January, February and March, Cross said.
The average monthly premium for a 40-year-old with a benchmark silver plan has increased by $122 from 2025 through 2026. This sticker shock is forcing many families to drop their coverage:
“We saw a huge drop off of people who maybe had originally selected the plan, but then once it came time to actually pay that premium for whatever reason, didn’t,” [Invest in Louisiana’s Courtney] Foster said. “Many employers may not be able to offer health insurance to their employees and may send them to the marketplace. But the employees, when they find that the coverage options are limited and really expensive, then they may have to make some really difficult choices.”
Elected officials should be wary of NDAs
Louisiana leaders have used non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to secretly award one of the largest tax-incentive packages in state history and in negotiations for Meta’s data center project in Richland Parish. Economic development is a crucial goal, but elected officials should not be prevented from discussing projects – and their impact on the environment, infrastructure and tax base – with their constituents. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate editorial board explains:
(E)ven in the case of elected officials, short-term NDAs might be reasonable so that key lawmakers can be “read in” to sensitive information during industrial recruitment. Still, as their duty is to the public, and as public monies and benefits often are involved, the lawmakers should be quite wary of agreeing to block too much sunlight. That’s why NDAs should be the exception, not the rule, and should be narrowly tailored rather than broad in scope. The goal, always, should be to get a good deal — and an honest deal — not just a “done deal.”.
Reimbursement rates set to increase for some rural health care providers
Louisiana is increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for independent rural clinics. The move is aimed at increasing rural health care access for low-income people by making it more affordable for these clinics to accept Medicaid patients. The Louisiana Illuminator’s Julie O’Donoghue reports:
Act 859, sponsored by Rep. Joe Stagni, R-Kenner, increases the rate by $41.50 this fiscal year and again next year, assuming the federal government approves the new payment structure. The rates will also be adjusted for healthcare-specific inflation moving forward.
Some rural hospitals have expressed concern as they were not included in the rate increase:
Some of the rural hospitals’ anxiety likely has to do with Medicaid program cuts coming over the next two years as a result of Congress approving President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The reductions are expected to be particularly brutal for rural hospitals, where patient populations include larger shares of low-income people and Medicaid enrollees, according to the American Hospital Association.
Lawmakers call for more funding for early childhood education
Louisiana could expand early childhood education access to children under four years old with an additional $95 million each year in state funding. That’s according to the state’s Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. Rep. Barbara Freiberg and Sen. Royce Duplessis, speaking at a news conference last week, explained how increasing state spending on early education should be a bipartisan priority. Halle Parker of Verite News reports:
“To me, that’s a drop in the bucket,” said Freiberg, noting the state already allocates $125 million to tax credits for the film industry. Duplessis added that, in recent years, lawmakers were also able to find $100 million to cover the increased expenses associated with charging and incarcerating 17 year olds as adults. “It really just boils down to priorities and what we’re truly committed to,” Duplessis said.
Access to early childhood education is also an economic development issue:
The policy institute estimated that employers in Louisiana lose more than $760 million annually due to absences and turnover related to child care issues. That loss increases to $1.3 billion annually for the state’s economy as a whole. “We need public investments to stabilize this system,” [child care center owner Monique Rouge said. “When funding is unreliable, parents are forced to leave the workforce and our economy loses.”