Viewpoint: Healthcare will frame Jindal’s legacy

In his book Leadership and Crisis, among the achievements Gov. Bobby Jindal lists, without much elaboration, is “sweeping” reform of the state’s Medicaid system. His words should have been of great comfort for patients, providers and taxpayers, who have been waiting for someone to fix an outmoded and very expensive system for treating the state’s chronically unhealthy Medicaid and uninsured population. Perhaps he did not elaborate on his new program because, at the time he wrote the book, it did not exist. Still doesn’t. While Jindal’s design for a new Medicaid delivery system does offer sweeping change, its implementation has been halting, and remains halted, while the administration continues negotiations with the hospitals and doctors who are to provide the medical care. They have yet to buy into the plan that, they say, would put medical decisions in the hands of private insurance companies. To read the full column, click here.