Louisiana Legislature Will Not Consider Medicaid Program Overhaul Without Federal Waiver

The Louisiana legislative leaders on Thursday said state lawmakers will not consider Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) plan to overhaul the state's Medicaid program until CMS approves the state's waiver application, the Baton Rouge Advocate reports. The Jindal administration is seeking the waiver from the agency to experiment with insurance-based managed care programs in four areas of the state, according to the Advocate. Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine last week said such an approval can take up to six months to receive.

House Speaker Jim Tucker (R) said the proposal may have to wait until the 2010 regular session, but noted there is a possibility for a special session if the waiver is received over the summer. In the regular session, new legislation must be filed by May 6, Tucker said. Senate President Joel Chaisson (D) said lawmakers would "not be so inclined" to consider legislation without receiving the federal waiver. He added that state lawmakers approved the Jindal administration's request for permission to apply for a waiver "on the basis we would see it again in all its detail before it's ever implemented" (Shuler, Baton Rouge Advocate, 2/13).