Louisiana governor: Healthcare should be left to patients, doctors

Louisiana's efforts to improve healthcare outcomes must put more power in the hands of doctors and patients and should also include broad public health measures, said Gov. Bobby Jindal. The administration is weeks away from unveiling a sweeping overhaul of the $7.5 billion-a-year Medicaid program for the poor, elderly, and disabled. The Louisiana Health First plan would turn over large chunks of the program to privately run managed-care organizations, which would oversee the healthcare of as many as 380,000 residents, mainly children.