Dissecting it: A new policy brief from the Louisiana Budget Project says the Republican plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act would shift billions of dollars in Medicaid costs from the federal government to Louisiana taxpayers, and would reduce the tax credit for people who buy health insurance through the federal marketplace by an average of $3,013 per year. These changes would result in a loss of health coverage for many, and would reverse the gains. The brief by LBP senior policy analyst Jeanie Donovan finds that the American Health Care Act would shift $2.6 billion in costs to Louisiana between fiscal years 2020 and 2023 if the state elected to maintain coverage for low-income, working-age adults who now get covered through the Medicaid expansion. Read the full brief.
Making the grade: LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business has cracked into Best College Values’ ranking of the nation’s 50 best valued bachelor degree programs for 2017. LSU is ranked No. 50 on the list, which ranks higher education degrees according to their quality and affordability. The schools in the ranking were selected from a pool of 300 regionally accredited colleges and universities with above average reputations according to U.S. News and World Report. Placing first is Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. See the full rankings.
High five: Lafayette’s economy, which has taken a hit in recent years due to the downturn in the oil and gas industry, is showing small signs of improvement. The Advertiser reports sales tax collections in Lafayette rose in January for the fifth consecutive month, after 16 consecutive months of year-over-year declines. However, the area is still experiencing lagging unemployment and a downturn in new home sales. Lafayette’s retail sales slowdown followed a downturn in oil and gas prices that began in 2014. Recovery continues to build slowly. Read the full story.
