The Baton Rouge Area Foundation confirmed this week that is has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to bolster the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals’ ability to administer its Medicaid program.
BRAF’s ultimate goal is to raise $2.9 million from businesses and organizations for DHH, which will use the money to ensure that Medicaid is administered smoothly and efficiently and that enrollment eligibility determinations and screenings are performed in a timely fashion.
“The quicker the funding is raised, the sooner DHH can improve and enhance its administrative capabilities,” John Davies, BRAF’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “Individuals eligible for Medicaid who miss out on receiving coverage rely on emergency departments as their sole source of care, a situation that is more expensive for both hospitals and the state, and which also provides poorer overall health outcomes when compared to the primary and preventive care provided by Medicaid.”
The foundation is administering the fund, accepting donations from health care providers, individuals and other entities. It will disperse the funds to DHH to help with the administrative costs of managing the state’s Medicaid program.
The funds will be used to ensure that everyone who is eligible for Medicaid is enrolled — and to make certain those who are no longer eligible are removed from the Medicaid rolls promptly. Additionally, as DHH moves to implement Gov. Edwards’ Executive Order to expand Medicaid by July 1, these funds will assist in adding the capacity to enroll newly eligible recipients.
Read more about BRAF’s work here.