The Office of Governor John Bel Edwards reports the impact of Medicaid expansion on Louisiana's budget and economy over the last seven years. Edwards took official action to expand Medicaid via executive order on his first full day in office in 2016.
Fact Sheet
- Governor Edwards often says his decision seven years ago to expand Medicaid on his first full day of office was the easiest big decision he’ll ever make. And it’s obvious why.
- In 2015, 22.7% of adults in Louisiana did not have health insurance. As a result of Medicaid Expansion, in 2022, the uninsured rate among adults has fallen to 9.4%. Source
- Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 500,000 working Louisianans now have access to health care. 71% of adults with Medicaid coverage have visited the doctor in the past year.
- Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 200,000 working Louisianans have received cancer screenings and treatment.
- Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 100,000 working Louisianans have newly learned they have hypertension and received treatment. More than 40,000 Louisianans have learned they have diabetes and received treatment.
- Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 180,000 working Louisianans have received specialized mental health treatment.
- We brought our federal tax dollars back home with Medicaid expansion, and those billions of dollars of investment have created tens of thousands of jobs.
- Unlike surrounding states that refuse to expand Medicaid, Louisiana has been able to keep our rural hospitals open.