Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller released the following statement about the opening of the Health Insurance Marketplace in Louisiana:
“The launch of Louisiana’s health insurance marketplace is a landmark day for the hundreds of thousands of people in our state who don’t have access to quality, affordable health coverage. No longer will Louisianans be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, or be priced out of the marketplace because they don’t make enough money at their job to afford decent coverage.
“The majority of Louisianans who buy insurance through the marketplace will see lower out-of-pocket costs and more robust coverage than they get under the current system.
“But it’s important to remember that the Marketplace is only a start. Many of our state’s neediest citizens will still be left without basic health coverage because they are too poor to qualify for federal subsidies. The intent of the health-care law was for this population – those with incomes below the federal poverty line – to be covered by Medicaid. But the governor and the Legislature unfortunately refused the opportunity to cover 400,000 low-income adults while also saving money in the state budget.”