Former DHH secretary criticizes Jindal on health care

Published Jul 5, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Updated Jul 5, 2012)

David Hood, a health care policy analyst with PAR, says Gov. Bobby Jindal's refusal to cooperate with the federal government on health care reform "certainly doesn't do anything to move the health care system forward." Hood worked with Jindal when the latter led the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals under former Gov. Mike Foster, and took over as secretary when Jindal left. A 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation report estimates that, under the Affordable Care Act, Louisiana would spend an additional $536 million on Medicaid from 2014 through 2019 to draw $8.94 billion in federal funds. "That's a good deal," says Hood, who urged the Legislature to expand Medicaid during his term at DHH. "There's no doubt about that." Federal Disproportionate Share Hospital payments for uninsured care are slated for reduction in 2014, and the state's refusal to expand Medicaid could mean Louisiana hospitals will take a DSH hit without the benefit of additional Medicaid funds, Hood says. He also criticizes the administration's refusal to create a state-level health insurance exchange. "If the feds come in and do it, you're going to be to some degree at their mercy," Hood says. The Jindal administration says the state cannot afford to expand Medicaid, and says an exchange could cost the state tens of million of dollars. Jindal has urged his fellow Republicans to focus on repealing the act, which he says will "decrease the quality of health care in America, raise taxes, cut Medicare, and break the bank." —David Jacobs