December 01, 2010 Making Medicaid Better newsletter 12.1.2010

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dec 01, 2010 - Message from LDH Secretary Bruce D. Greenstein  

As we move forward in transforming our state’s Medicaid program, I am committed to sharing information across the state and continuing the dialogue with providers, enrollees, community leaders and advocates. Next week, I will begin traveling around the state to hold a series of Making Medicaid Better forums in different regions through mid-December.

We held the first Making Medicaid Better forum Nov. 17 at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. This was a great experience, and I received many insightful comments and questions from those who attended. And I look forward to the forums in other regions of the state to get more ideas on how we can provide better health care for Louisiana’s Medicaid recipients.

I cannot stress enough the urgency for action. We continue to lag behind in health care rankings. The people of Louisiana who rely on us deserve better, and our taxpayers deserve more value for their investment. Already, 41 other states are coordinating care for Medicaid recipients. In January, Mississippi will join that list. Our time is now. We can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch others improve health care for their citizens while we maintain the status quo.

We know that making these changes takes all of us working together. That is why I want as many people as possible involved in the process. We are committed to ensuring that everyone is fully informed on the changes coming. To help, we have compiled a list of questions from the first Making Medicaid Better forum, which LDH staff addressed. These questions and answers, along with video, speaker presentations and other resources from the forum, are available online at www.MakingMedicaidBetter.com.

As these meetings continue around Louisiana, we will continue providing these materials online. The Making Medicaid Better Web site also includes a schedule of the regional forums. This site is updated frequently, and I encourage you to check here often for the latest details on meetings in your area. You can also submit your questions or comments through the Web site, or e-mail them directly to coordinatedcarenetworks@la.gov.

Our state health care system affects all of us, and as we make changes, I want the effort to be collaborative and constructive. I hope people will keep asking questions and engaging in this important process.

Sincerely,
Bruce D. Greenstein
Secretary, LDH

Making Medicaid Better Regional Forums

The Department of Health will host forums around the state to discuss the proposed plan for transforming Medicaid. Stakeholders and other interested parties are invited to attend, ask questions and make suggestions about this proposal for coordinating care for Medicaid enrollees. LDH will provide video from the forums as technology permits for those who are unable to attend in person. Please visit www.MakingMedicaidBetter.com for details on regional forums and to view materials from each forum.

Forums are scheduled in different regions on the following dates:
Tuesday, Dec. 7 – Northeast Louisiana region
Wednesday, Dec. 8 – Northwest Louisiana region
Thursday, Dec. 9 – Acadiana region
Friday, Dec. 10 – Central Louisiana region
Monday, Dec. 13 – Northshore region
Tuesday, Dec. 14 – Southwest Louisiana region
Wednesday, Dec. 15 – South Central Louisiana region
Thursday, Dec. 16 – New Orleans area

Featured Question

Certainly some of the 60 percent savings in the proposed Medicaid program would go to the network – but what is the significance for providers? (question received at Baton Rouge Making Medicaid Better forum 11.17.2010)

The major areas for projected savings are not in decreases in reimbursement rates to providers, but the result of decreases in utilization through shorter hospital stays, reduced use of the ER for non-emergent conditions, and less need for health care resources as a result of improved disease management activity.

Why Does Coordinating Care Matter?

FACT: Louisiana has the highest rate of death from breast cancer in the nation.
FACT: Only 40 percent of eligible Medicaid women are screened for breast cancer.
See more facts about the need to improve health in Louisiana at www.MakingMedicaidBetter.com.

Contact Us

Your feedback is important to us as we move forward in transforming Louisiana’s Medicaid program. For the latest information or to share your comments, please visit www.MakingMedicaidBetter.com, e-mail coordinatedcarenetworks@la.gov, or call toll-free 1-888-342-6207.

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