Report: La. Medicaid expansion would provide coverage to 240K more

More than 240,000 working Louisianans would gain health coverage in 2014 if the state were to expand its Medicaid program as the federal government has mandated, according to a new report released by the left-leaning Louisiana Budget Project today. The report says 93% of the cost to expand the program would be covered by the federal government over the first decade, “making it an excellent deal for the state.” Gov. Bobby Jindal has said he won’t implement the new federal health care law, which includes the Medicaid expansion and has been found constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, claiming it is too costly and is too intrusive on people’s private lives. Under the law, beginning in 2014, most adults between the ages of 19 and 65 with individual incomes up to about $15,000 per year will qualify for Medicaid in every state. LBP says, “Despite common misconceptions, most adults without insurance have jobs,” and that those who would receive coverage by the expansion in Louisiana would include those in “key industries such as health-care, tourism and construction.” LBP Director Jan Moller says: “If Louisiana turns its back on this opportunity, it would be a huge disservice to hundreds of thousands of citizens who work hard and play by the rules yet don’t have access to health insurance.” You can check out the complete report here.