The reviews are far from all in, but the Jindal administration’s newly-proposed public health care restructuring, titled Louisiana Health First, got some positive feedback today from the nonprofit advocacy group, Council for a Better Louisiana. CABL issued a statement noting that the plan, which is still only outilined in broad strokes and would require federal approval, should prompt a healthy debate on needed reforms.
At the very least, CABL believes the new plan is a step into uncharted territory for Louisiana if for no other reason than the fact it’s the most comprehensive reform plan put on the table by any governor in memory. Is it a silver bullet? Does it address every issue? Does it solve every problem? The answer is no, of course, to all. But it sets a direction that, if successful in the major areas it addresses, would move us much farther down a path we need to go.
The Jindal administration announced the Louisiana Health First initiative earlier this week after several health providers filed public records requests to get details on the plan. The Department of Health and Hospitals has now posted a 67-page concept paper on Louisiana Health First on its Web site.