Louisiana’s Department of Health plans to send nursing home eviction notices this week to 37,000 residents who could lose Medicaid under the budget passed by the state House of Representatives.
The Advertiser reports Gov. John Bel Edwards’ staff has tentative plans to call a press conference Thursday, which is when notices are set to be mailed to Medicaid recipients in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.
Department of Health Undersecretary Jeff Reynolds is expected to testify about the process during a Senate Finance Committee meeting that begins at 8 a.m. today. Senate Finance is conducting public hearings on next year’s budget that begins July 1, which is when the evictions could technically begin.
The budget passed by the House and sent to the Senate contains deep cuts to healthcare because of a shortfall of between $550 million and $648 million, depending on who’s doing the calculations.
Last week one of the state’s safety net hospitals, Lafayette General, sent notices to 800 employees that the medical center will close and they will lose their jobs under the budget being debated now. The other safety net hospitals are expected to follow suit.
