The Louisiana Health Insurance Survey conducted by LSU every two years since 2003 found that in 2017, 11.4% of adults who were younger than 65 lacked health insurance. That was down 11.3% from 2015 when 22.7% lacked health insurance. The drop occurred because of Governor Edwards's decision to enact the Medicaid expansion available under the Affordable Care Act. The Governor approved the expansion in his first week in office in 2016.
The expansion has added 474,000 to the insured rolls since 2016. The report also stated that less than 3% of Louisiana's children are uninsured. All according to the LSU report as published in the Times Picayune of 8/24/18. The Jindal administration and the republican controlled state legislature could have taken this action several years sooner when they ran state government but refused because they were ditto heads following the lead of the republicans in the U.S. Congress who opposed the ACA. To them, Louisiana and its people were not a priority.
Louisiana and its people are in a better position now health wise thanks to the wisdom of Gov. Edwards who understood the need. Governing is not always easy or popular and the same can be said about decision making. But facts always tell a story. They can be addressed by decisions that solve the problem or addressed with ideology that prolong the problem or make it worse.
Governor Edwards has moved the conversation and decision making in a new direction from the failed past and progress has been made in several areas and especially in the state's budget process. The people's support is necessary to keep moving forward for a better Louisiana and for all its people. The Governor has held up his end so far like good democrats usually do. That makes a difference.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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