Thursday, April 27, 2017

Louisiana’s Medicaid eligibility expert retires

Career spent helping children and adults get access to health care services


Author: Jen Steele, Medicaid Director


Ruth Kennedy, a former Medicaid director with the Louisiana Department of Health, recently retired from our department. Ms. Kennedy is a nationally recognized expert in helping eligible individuals enroll in Medicaid services. Her expertise in designing and implementing outreach, enrollment and retention strategies resulted in Louisiana becoming a national leader in children’s coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or LaCHIP.

Friday, April 21, 2017

Colorectal Cancer: Still a problem

Author: David J. Holcombe, M.D., M.S.A., Regional Medical Director, Region 6 (Alexandria Region)

Colorectal cancer remains a significant problem in Louisiana.  Even though we have a highly effective screening method (i.e. colonoscopy), only 64.3% of adults over 50 have been screened. The inevitable result of low screening is a high number of new cases of colorectal cancer (3rd in the U.S.) and the 4th highest mortality rate among states.

Thursday, April 13, 2017

LDH Secretary Dr. Gee spoke to Jim Engster on Talk Louisiana this week and shared her thoughts on Medicaid expansion, budget cuts and more. Listen to her full interview.


Thursday, April 6, 2017

Department of Health and Department of Corrections team up to provide health care coverage for newly released offenders

Pre-Release Medicaid Enrollment Program for Offender Population


Author: Jennifer Katzman, Medicaid Program Manager

Numerous studies show that access to mental health, substance use and other health care services helps former offenders better integrate back into their communities, lessening the likelihood of these individuals committing future crimes. Now, because of Medicaid expansion, the Louisiana Department of Health and the Department of Corrections are helping incarcerated individuals enroll into Medicaid, with coverage beginning once the individual’s sentence is complete and they transition out of prison.