Louisiana’s Automatic Enrollment Brings More Women Into Medicaid Than Men
Women outnumber men by 2 to 1 in the state's expanded Medicaid program, Louisiana officials report. Also, advocates worry about the toll new reporting requirements could have on doctors who participate in the Medicaid program.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Why Are More Louisiana Women Signing Up For Medicaid Than Men?
The Louisiana Department of Health's update earlier this week on Medicaid expansion statistics contained a stunning number, at least on the surface. Women have signed up for the federally subsidized health insurance by a margin of 2-1 compared with men. ... Ruth Kennedy, who is overseeing the department's Medicaid expansion push, said that reason behind the surge in female signups is simple: The department conducted automatic enrollment for people who were enrolled in the Take Charge Plus plan. That plan, which offered limited family planning services, was always dominated by female recipients. (Litten, 8/12)
Modern Healthcare:
Medicaid Doctors Get Help With Quality Reporting
Keeping clinicians involved in Medicaid programs has never been easy. The pay is low and the programs' impoverished patients, many with multiple chronic conditions, can be difficult to manage. And now, with state programs stepping up their reporting requirements as they struggle to improve quality while lowering costs, a growing number of providers, especially those in independent practices, are disappearing from plan networks. (Dickson, 8/13)
