Originally published: . Volume 9, No. 5. Source pages: 5.
In an April 9 press release Governor Edwards cited the results of an analysis by Dr. James Richardson from the Public Administration Institute at LSU, titled “Medicaid Expansion and the Louisiana Economy.”
On Jan. 12, 2016, Gov. Edwards signed an executive order to bring federal tax dollars back to Louisiana to provide health care for working poor people in the state. Since then, more than 468,000 individuals have received health coverage, including: 183,377 patients receiving preventive care visits; 35,733 women have been screened for breast cancer, with 338 diagnosed with breast cancer; 21,037 colon cancer screenings, resulting in 285 cancer diagnoses; and 18,158 adults receiving treatment for substance abuse.
In an Editorial by the Advocate, following the announcement, the newspaper wrote: “The report found that expansion has created roughly 19,000 jobs and $3.57 billion of economic activity. On the financial front, the generous federal matching grants for expansion — more than 90 percent — mean that money once spent on care for the uninsured, often in emergency rooms, is now available through doctor's offices.
“The state's savings are substantial. But the LSU report also noted that more than $1.8 billion spent on medical care — doctors and nurses, treatments and hospitals — represents a significant stimulus for the general economy. Health care is ultimately a payroll-oriented business, and those paychecks boost communities across the state. It's a source of revenue for hospitals, federally qualified health clinics and other institutions supporting a healthier state.”
Those critical of the expansion point to the future when the 90% matching is greatly reduced and the state must find ways to manage the loss of federal funds.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.