Article archive / April 1, 2016
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 4. Source pages: 4.
Bills addressing the Medicaid expansion, cost containments for public healthcare, provider requirements, and many other topics are flooding into the committees on Health & Welfare.
A number of bills have been referred to committee last month and are currently pending, possibly due to the complexity of issues involving Medicaid expansion and the state’s serious and continued financial problems, which require juggling.
Included in these Medicaid proposals are: HB 461 which would require copayments for Medicaid-covered physician visits and non- emergency services provided in hospital emergency rooms. HB 492 is similar, authorizing collection of copayments in medical assistance programs. Both have been pending since March 14.
HB 497 by Representative Barbara Norton is an extensive measure that would provide for the Medicaid health home state plan options for those Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness. It would provide minimum delivery requirements for health home providers. It has been pending since March 14.
HB 517, by Representative Tony Bacala, is a proposal that would authorize the Department of Health and Hospitals to impose provider fees on every class of healthcare provider, facility, and service recognized in federal Medicaid regulations. This would include psychological services, as well as all other health services, such as home healthcare services, physician services, outpatient prescription drugs, dental services, and chiropractic services. The measure would also cap the fees.
SB 52 by Fred Mills proposes to create a single preferred drug list for Medicaid coverage.
He also proposed HB 106 with changes in Medicaid eligibility standards.
Senator Fred Mills at his desk in the Louisiana Senate last year. In the current legislative session he has introduced several measures, one of which relates to Medicaid standards.
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