Louisiana Medicaid -- who qualifies, and how to get enrolled
A good headline jumps off the page, grabs your attention, and drags you right into the story. Monday morning, on the front page of the Times-Picayune, a breaking story came out of Baton Rouge that 11,000 Louisiana children had lost their health insurance so far in 2020. Overall, over 50,000 children in the state are uninsured. If you’re looking for a political softball, then by God this is it. The story was initially reported by The Advocate, and you can read it here…
We can argue back and forth all we want about adults, but children are an easier discussion, as I think most would agree their vulnerability should be protected. The easiest path is thru the state’s Medicaid program, which specifically targets children and parents with lower incomes. So how does one go about enrolling in this program?
Income Limits:
The program uses federal poverty limit guidelines to set monthly amounts, which begin at $1468 per month for an individual, and increase to over $3000/month for a parent of a disable child.
https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/1371
Disability:
If you are unable to work for more than 1 year, and your disability leaves you unable to work, you are likely to qualify. Blindness, with corrected vision worse than 20/200, will also qualify.
Pregnancy:
There are no age limits, which shows the state’s commitment to supporting the healthy birth of children in Louisiana.
How to Get Enrolled:
888-342-6207
www.louisiana.gov (LDH > medicaid)
mymedicaid@la.gov
With a huge number of Louisianans left unemployed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the list of residents qualifying for Medicaid is certain to grow. In New Orleans, the areas most affected were in the hospitality industry — hotels, restaurants, bars, events spaces, and music venues. If you or someone you know has been impacted, or may qualify for Medicaid, please get them in touch with the Louisiana Department of Health asap!