Medicaid Program – Louisiana

New Louisiana Medicaid system needs oversight board, watchdog group says, By Bill Barrow, December 8, 2011, New Orleans Times-Picayune: “The leaders of an independent public policy group raised questions Thursday about whether Gov. Bobby Jindal’s overhaul of the Louisiana Medicaid program can yield the predicted savings without curtailing needed health care services for beneficiaries. In a comprehensive report, the Louisiana Public Affairs Research Council called for the Legislature to take an active role in oversight of the Bayou Health program that will shift about 900,000 Medicaid recipients and about $2 billion annually to privately run managed-care networks. The PAR report prompted a quick rebuttal from Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein. Jindal’s top health care lieutenant framed the governor’s signature health care as nearly sure bet to improve health outcomes and said it is set up to operate with as much or more transparency an accountability as any state Medicaid system around the country…”