John Bel Edwards on Health Care

Medicaid expansion has been a blessing, fixed budget mess

COVID: Relying on doctors and scientists and epidemiologists

Medicaid expansion saved lives

Pro-life includes helping the poor get access to health care

The man himself sees a common principle at work: "The idea of not doing the Medicaid expansion, I just couldn't reconcile that, because I am pro-life. And the pro-life ethos has to mean more than just the abortion issue. [Abortion] is fundamental, and I understand how important it is, but it's got to go beyond that. The job isn't over when the baby's born if you've got poor people who need access to health care."

Medicaid expansion addresses opioid crisis

Medicaid expansion reduced uninsured by 43% & saved $200M

• Nearly 417,000 individuals have received health coverage through Medicaid expansion.
• More than 77,000 individuals have received preventive care services since coverage began July 1, many seeing doctors for the first time in years.
• Louisiana's uninsured rate has dropped from 22 percent in 2013 to below 12.6 percent--a nearly 43 percent drop in the uninsured rate. It is one of the greatest drops in uninsured rates in the entire country.
• In the process of doing all of this, Louisiana is projected to save nearly $200 million in the first year alone, and we're projected to save more than $300 million in the next fiscal year.

Don't delay Medicaid expansion; that ties up LA tax dollars

EDWARDS: @JayDardenne says he would delay Medicaid expansion and receipt of $16B of our tax dollars to submit waiver, delaying care.

DARDENNE: @JohnBelforLA has a ton of promises, but not the experience nor the votes to get any of his proposals through. I can get it done.

EDWARDS: Thanks for pointing out that expanding Medicaid requires no vote. So no reason to stall, hurt citizens and waste tax dollars.

DARDENNE: Placing Louisiana on the hook, under the current ACA rules, is foolish and insolvent. Try putting Louisiana before party.

EDWARDS: Waiver removes flexibility in how to spend the tax $ we won't get for the 18 months you delay.

DARDENNE: Untrue. Waiver that #PutLouisianaFirst gives us a chance to address the issue w/o breaking the backs of the taxpayers.

EDWARDS: Continuing to send our federal taxes to other states while we wait for waiver hurts taxpayers. Not the other way around.

No medical school needed for optometrist eye surgeries

Analysis by Times-Picayune: The Legislature agreed to make Louisiana the country's third state to authorize some eye doctors who did not attend medical school to perform certain surgeries. The controversial legislation authorizes optometrists to perform surgical procedures that are currently limited in this state and 47 others to the practice of ophthalmology. The bill's supporters say the move expands access to eye care, especially for residents in rural areas. Its opponents call it an effort by optometrists to sideline education and expand their practice to include surgery instead through legislation in order to charge more money.

Legislative Outcome: Passed House -32-6, Vote #775 66 on May/7/14; State Rep. John Bel Edwards voted YES; Passed Senate 25-12-2, Vote #1274 on May/21/14; Signed by Gov. Jindal on Jun/1/14

Universal health care with guaranteed coverage

Edwards indicated support for the following principles regarding health care.
• Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
• Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
• Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.