Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1988-11-13

Duration: 00:22:27

Subjects: Health Care | HEALTH INSURANCE | Health maintenance organizations

Contributors:

• Masingale, Sonya Host
• Czernik, David Interviewee
• Townsend, William Interviewee
• Dupre, Gil Interviewee
• Jackson, Jesse Speaker
• Green, Doug Interviewee

This segment from the November 13, 1988, episode of the series “Folks” features Sonya Masingale’s report on the impact of the rising costs in health care and the lack of affordable health insurance on consumers in Louisiana. She interviews David Czernik, the executive director of the Louisiana Consumer League, who discusses the importance of making health insurance more accessible. Masingale also visit the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans to learn more about the Ochsner Health Plan, a Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO, an alternative to health insurance. She interviews William Townsend, the president of the plan, and Gil Dupre, the executive director of the plan. Masingale also conducts an in-studio interview with Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Doug Green. He discusses: the commissioner of insurance’s role in regulating the insurance industry in Louisiana; the lack of regulation of the cost of health insurance in the United States; the goal of HMOs; the need to develop HMO solvency plans; and the differences between health insurance and HMOs.