New Orleans healthcare revamp faces Senate criticism

Members of a Louisiana Senate committee are opposing a plan to revamp the healthcare safety net in the New Orleans area through a system of insurance vouchers. The Coalition of Leaders for Louisiana Health Care wants the state to use about half the money that is now spent on indigent care in the New Orleans area to buy managed-care coverage for low-income, uninsured adults. Opponents say any healthcare overhaul should be done on a statewide basis.