Louisiana legislators have an unprecedented opportunity to boost public health, improve the state’s business climate and save money in the state budget when they take up bills to expand Medicaid coverage this week.
The opportunity to extend coverage to low-income adults using mostly federal dollars means up to 400,000 Louisianans would have access to preventive care and would no longer be one illness or injury away from bankruptcy.
“This is literally a life and death decision for many working Louisianans who cannot afford health coverage,” said Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project.
To help add context to the important debates scheduled this week in the House and Senate health committees, LBP has produced new fact sheets that explain why this coverage opportunity is good news for Louisiana businesses, for public health and for the state budget.
A fourth report, “The facts about Medicaid expansion in Louisiana” dispels some of the arguments being made by those who oppose expansion.