DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 560 Original 2015 Regular Session Norton
Abstract: Requires that La. Medicaid eligibility standards conform to those established by the
Affordable Care Act.
Proposed law requires the secretary of the Dept. of Health and Hospitals to take actions on or before
Oct. 1, 2015, as are necessary to cause this state's participation in the expansion of Medicaid
eligibility as provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Provides that such actions shall include:
(1)Filing the Medicaid state plan amendment necessary to expand eligibility in accordance with
proposed law.
(2)Promulgating all rules and regulations as are necessary to expand Medicaid eligibility in
accordance with proposed law.
Proposed law declares that the purposes of the state in expanding Medicaid eligibility as provided
in proposed law are as follows:
(1)To maximize the number of Louisianians who are covered by some form of health insurance.
(2)To provide basic health coverage to the working poor of the state who are not offered
insurance through their employer and do not earn enough money to meet basic family needs
and pay for private health insurance.
(3)To assure health care providers who serve low- to moderate-income persons of some amount
of compensation for the care they provide, as the ACA provides for a dramatic reduction in
funding to federal programs which currently finance care for the uninsured as a means of
financing the Medicaid expansion.
(4)To avert the economic and human costs of crises in both access to health care and health
services financing that occur in states that do not participate in the readily available
expansion of Medicaid while other federal sources of financing for medical care for the
uninsured and the indigent in those states are being drastically reduced or eliminated.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 46:979.11-979.13)