Louisiana ranks high for Medicare spending, low for quality

A new study found that Louisiana was one of the biggest Medicare spenders, but the state ranked last in terms of quality of care. According to an analysis by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School, $9,401 was spent for each Medicare beneficiary in Louisiana, but the overall quality of care was ranked at 26.1, based on measures from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on how states do in treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions. In contrast, Wisconsin had the highest score for quality of care, at 69.2, despite spending $6,978 per beneficiary. The New York Times says the numbers add fuel to the ongoing healthcare reform debate. Some critics say this points to wasted spending, while others note that Medicare patients weren’t receiving regular care until they became eligible for the program. Read the full story here.