In 2004, Louisiana received HRSA State Planning Grant funds to develop and refine a plan for providing access to affordable health insurance coverage to all Louisianans. Building on previous data and planning activities, data collection efforts targeted filling in knowledge gaps, including:
- Developing regional and parish estimates of the uninsured;
- Conducting an economic analysis of the costs of the uninsured; and
- Surveying employers and conducting public opinion polls about health insurance coverage.
In addition to serving as an educational tool on the need for coverage expansion, the data collected through the SPG project was used to further develop coverage options for uninsured persons above 200 percent FPL and to refine the state's Medicaid expansion plan, especially in terms of addressing regional needs and developing viable financing strategies for covering low-income adults.
State Profiles
