Healthcare For Louisiana's Uninsured (Download as a PDF)

Although America is the most prosperous nation in the world, the number of Americans without health coverage is staggering – more than 44 million individuals or 16 percent of the under-65 population nationwide. Surprisingly, most of the uninsured are employed.  In Louisiana, approximately 21 percent of the state’s population has no health insurance. These people can be difficult to reach, because they are too old for Medicaid LaCHIP services, too young for Medicare, and cannot afford private insurance. Especially vulnerable are children in uninsured families.

The CHRISTUS Health Position: Health care for all.
CHRISTUS Health’s ministry is committed to health coverage for all. This commitment is based on Catholic social justice teaching and a mission of service to the poor. For millions of vulnerable persons who do not have access to health insurance, the current health care system lacks accessibility. CHRISTUS Health recognizes that access to health care coverage for all will be a major undertaking; however, the task must begin now.
CHRISTUS Health continues to seek to raise public awareness of the injustice this inadequacy of health coverage, particularly with regard to the uninsured, and to help build support for changes for children and the working uninsured.
CHRISTUS successfully worked with health care organizations and members of the state Legislature to pass a $26 billion budget for 2007– the largest in Louisiana  history. Much of this budget increase is a direct result of federal funds coming to the state through matching programs such as Medicaid and hurricane relief, and represent non-recurring funds.

Contained within the budget are significant funds for health care services for Medicaid and uninsured patients, including:
           

• Uncompensated care for community hospitals:    $120 million
• Uncompensated care for high Medicaid hospitals:          $7 million
• Uncompensated care for rural hospitals                            $15 million
• Medicaid rate increase for hospitals                                  $38 million
• Medicaid rate increase for physicians                               $18 million

April 2007