Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2018-05-11

Duration: 00:10:13

Subjects: Louisiana. Department of Health | MEDICAID | Health Care | STATE BUDGET | Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 2018

Contributors:

• Moreau, Andre Host
• Dardenne, Jay Speaker
• Gee, Rebekah Speaker
• Dardenne, Jay Panelist
• Abadie, Jeanne Panelist
• Henry, Cameron Panelist

This segment from the May 11, 2018, episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features Andre Moreau leading a panel discussion on the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) sending official notifications to 37,000 elderly and disabled Medicaid enrollees that they could lose their benefits due to budget cuts. The panelists are: Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne; Jeanne Abadie of the Advocacy Center of Louisiana; and State Representative Cameron Henry, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Prior to the panel discussion, Moreau presents highlights from a press conference with Commissioner Dardenne and Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee of LDH explaining their decision to send out these notices. The panelists then discuss: LDH’s funding; the philosophical disagreement between the Edwards Administration and House Republicans on the amount of the state budget shortfall; and the possibility of a Special Session to fix the budget shortfall, which will allow Medicaid enrollees to keep their coverage.