On January 12th, 2016, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order expanding Medicaid. The governor’s communications director Lauren Leist says the decision seven years ago provided health insurance to over half a million working Louisianans.
“More than 500 thousand Louisianans have access to care and preventive training, over 200 thousand people have received cancer screenings and treatment, over 100 thousand people have received care for hypertension,” said Leist.
Leist says more than 180 thousand residents received specialized mental health treatment as a result of the Medicaid expansion. She says an expanded Medicaid program played a critical role in the state’s battle against COVID.
“Because not only does it allow people to have access to care during the pandemic but it also insured more people were managing pre-existing conditions that otherwise would have put them at a higher risk for the severe outcome from COVID,” said Leist.
Before Governor. Edwards took office Louisiana’s uninsured rate among adults was nearly 23 percent, it’s now down to nine percent. Leist says the decision to expand the Medicaid program also benefited taxpayers.
“Before we expanded Medicaid our tax dollars were going to other states, so this was just us bringing our own tax dollars back to Louisiana to benefit the people right here at home,” said Leist.
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