An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 St. Charles Parish residents are projected to qualify for Medicaid under the expanded program by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ newly signed executive order.
Although the window to sign up doesn’t open until July 1, Mark Keiser, CEO of the St. Charles Community Health Center, said his center is assisting patients with the application who are likely to qualify for the assistance, training personnel to handle the applications and expanding personnel to handle the patient growth.
“We will add doctors and other health care professionals to provide the services to meet the added need,” Keiser said. “Right now, our other locations are pretty full.”
Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Ochsner Health System that manages the St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, said the system welcomes the opportunity to offer health care to more people.
“Ochsner Health System welcomes the opportunity to extend high quality healthcare to more people across our network of 28 owned, managed and affiliated hospitals and more than 60 health centers,” Thomas said. “We look forward to working with the administration and [state] Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) on the Medicaid expansion so that we can ensure appropriate access to healthcare for all Louisianans.”
Edwards’ order makes Louisiana the 31st state to expand the program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that allows expanding Medicaid.
Keiser said Louisiana has Medicaid managed care or five healthcare plans. Expanded Medicaid could bring in another 300,000 to 400,000 Louisianans into health coverage. Edwards’ proposed budget calls for an additional 238 positions with DHH to assist with processing applications, which require extensive information. If approved, an applicant is notified and can choose one of the five plans.
The uninsured in St. Charles Parish, as well as Louisiana, are limited in choices for health care, he said.
“The Medicaid reimbursement rates is so low that many doctors don’t accept it,” Keiser said.
A private doctor’s office typically requires that services be paid at the time they are provided, which can be challenging for patients who lack these funds so they typically wait until their condition worsens and go to emergency rooms, Keiser said. Federal law requires the patient at least be assessed and, if the condition warrants care, then the ER or hospital must provide it and that cost is passed on through higher costs to insurance companies or state programs.
ACA was passed about five years ago to shift cost from the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital program to helping more people get health coverage. The hospital program is being phased out.
“Louisiana has typically been one of the most highest paid states for disproportionate share because we operated a large state hospital through this program,” Keiser said. “Then Gov. Bobby Jindal privatized this system, although disproportionate dollars are dwindling and being replaced by Medicaid insurance through ACA.”
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