Gubernatorial candidate, Republican Congressman Ralph Abraham spoke out against the Edwards Administration’s handling of Medicaid this morning on the steps of the Louisiana Department of Health.
Abraham says despite a 14.8-billion-dollar Department of Health budget the state is still one of the least healthy in the nation.
“We have spent billions and billions, and you have heard a billion-dollar addition every year, and we are still at the bottom of the barrel in healthcare.”
The Congressman adds the amount the state will have to spend to maintain the Medicaid expansion will increase further in 2020 after the federal match rate decreases.
He called out the Division of Administration, the LDH Secretary, and Governor for not being transparent about Medicaid and it’s increasing costs but says he would not undo the expansion.
“We can not give those services to people if we have all this waste fraud and abuse as it is right now.”
Abraham says he would save the state money and fix Medicaid by implementing a more detailed income analysis for the program, removing people who make over the 16,764 dollars a year limit.
“Let’s look at the state income tax as far as determining who is eligible and who is ineligible. Right now the Governor will not allow the state (Legislative) Auditor to do that.”
Abraham made the comments while flanked by State Represenatives Lance Harris, Doddie Horton, and Jack McFarland.
You can read the full speech here.
