Let's Do a Facts Check

Yesterday, September 3, 2014, a media release by the Jindal Administration entitled, “Health care reforms good for Louisiana” appeared in the Hammond Star.

It is important for Louisiana residents to realize that this positive report was largely based upon unverified data submitted by the insurance companies awarded the contracts to implement the Bayou Health plans for Medicaid recipients.  These reported facts WERE NOT based upon an independent, unbiased assessment of the privatization plans presently operating within our state.

As a matter of fact, a summary evaluation from the state legislative auditor said the Jindal administration’s positive report on the status of Medicaid privatization lacks information supporting  the “global assertions” of cost savings and improved health outcomes cited in that report.  The independent auditor’s report faults the Jindal release on two issues. One is that the privatized management of Bayou Health plans is not independently assessed.  Secondly, the comparisons between traditional Medicaid and the new privatization do not use apples-to-apples data.

“This lack of comparability renders most comparisons of Bayou Health data to legacy Medicaid data skewed and not useful,” according to the auditor’s report.

Regarding the statements concerning the Office of Group Benefits having to raise its premiums and revamp all its insurance plans due to Obamacare, that is a total deception.  The cause of all the changes that will occur to the OGB insurance plans is the result of the Jindal’s mismanagement of the plans since he decided to “fix” them.

Two years ago, he reduced members’ insurance premiums by 8%, which the state pays a portion of, in order to help balance the state budget.  This lead to not enough funds being collected to cover the costs of the plans, resulting in a 5% premium increase in July of this year.  This increase was NOT a result of Obamacare as stated in Jindal’s media release, but an attempt to undo Bobby’s mismanagement.  All the OGB plans were operating quite successfully before the implementation of “Bobbycare.”  I am no fan of Obamacare, but you can’t blame the present OGB mess on it. This disaster rests solely with the Jindal administration and all present members of the OGB insurance plans will pay dearly.