Locked in a dispute over their state contract, the safety-net hospital operator in north Louisiana is accusing the Gov. John Bel Edwards administration of discrimination in their payment formula.
Officials with BRF, which manages state-owned hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe as University Health System, say the Edwards administration of giving better terms to the hospital operator in New Orleans.
“North Louisiana hospitals get only 32 cents per patient for every dollar received by New Orleans,” Malcolm Murchison, BRF chairman, says in a statement. “We will fight for a funding model that treats the citizens of north Louisiana fairly, and provides for adequate health care for those who need it most.”
BRF is seeking to hang onto its deal with the state, amid breach-of-contract accusations from the Edwards administration and LSU, whose doctors and medical students work and train at the safety-net facilities.
Edwards’ lead negotiator, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, says BRF’s discrimination allegations are “false claims,” describing them as a “public relations offensive” launched only after the company was accused of not meeting the terms of its agreement and refused to sign a reworked deal.
LSU wouldn’t comment on the BRF accusations, saying the divvying of dollars among the safety-net hospitals and clinics is a state issue.
