Medicaid revamp among hot topics in Louisiana healthcare

New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 28, 2008

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and other state officials are working with Washington policymakers on a range of issues that could affect how healthcare is delivered in the state. The state's recent discussions with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have centered on three issues: A partial transformation of the state Medicaid program into an HMO-style system, the federal government's reimbursement to the state for Hurricane Katrina damage to Charity Hospital, and a final settlement on $600 million that the federal government claims Louisiana owes for past overspending in its Medicaid program.