Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1995-12-01

Duration: 00:18:29

Subjects: Health Care | MEDICAID | STATE BUDGET

Contributors:

• Collins, Robert Host
• Duhe, Jeff Reporter
• Descant, Debra Interviewee
• Descant, Leon Interviewee
• Laborde, Raymond Interviewee
• Dorsey, Larry Interviewee
• Carson, Marcus Interviewee
• Breaux, John Interviewee

This segment from the December 1, 1995, episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features Jeff Duhe’s report on the possibility of a more lenient schedule in the federal budget for Louisiana to pay for the Medicaid program. Duhe reports that the state is facing a $1 billion budget shortfall to keep Medicaid services at the current funding level. He interviews: Debra Descant and Leon Descant of Hessmer, the parents of a child with disabilities; Commissioner of Administration Raymond Laborde; Larry Dorsey, the hospital administrator at University Medical Center in Lafayette; and Marcus Carson of the Louisiana Health Care Campaign. Robert Collins then conducts an interview via satellite with United States Senator John Breaux, who discusses the ongoing work on the federal budget compromise, including his amendment on Louisiana’s Medicaid funding.