La. Medicaid funding slashed by $859M

Louisiana’s health department is working on how to cut $859 million from the state’s Medicaid program for the poor and uninsured, stripping 11% of the funding for health services. The cuts to the budget for the new fiscal year that began Sunday came as a surprise to the Jindal administration and lawmakers, cropping up late last week when Congress slashed Medicaid funding to the state in the federal transportation bill that was approved Friday afternoon. On the chopping block are charity hospitals, hospice care and Medicaid providers. Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration outlined expected cuts that will eliminate programs providing services to women with breast and cervical cancer, hospice care, and adult dentures to the poor and uninsured. In addition, funding to the LSU public hospitals and rural hospitals will be reduced, threatening some of the facilities with closure.