Talking Politics with Caesar Healthcare and Minimum Wage in Louisiana

President Obama signed an executive order Wednesday, February 13, raising the minimum wage for federal contractors from $7.25 to $10.10. A change to the federal minimum wage would be a boon to Louisiana workers, as the Pelican State is one of only five states that have no state mandated minimum wage.  But, Louisiana lawmakers will have a chance to change that fact in the upcoming legislative session. Senator Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb, D- Baton Rouge, has pre-filed SB 46 which would set Louisiana’s minimum wage at $10 an hour.
Many HIV/AIDS Patients in Louisiana blocked from Obamacare Coverage   
Thanks to a technical provision in insurance policies offered by three of the four companies participating in the federal marketplace exchange for Louisiana, many low-income patients with HIV or AIDS will be unable to get coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The provisions restrict third party payments for premiums – the same third-party payments used by a federal program to help these patients afford insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBS), the largest insurer in the state, claims its stance is an effort to prevent fraud. But advocates for the HIV/AIDS community say it’s merely an effort to keep high-cost patients off the company rolls, according to The Advocate.
Bills filed to boost health-care coverage  
Two new bills filed for the upcoming legislative session seek to extend much-needed health coverage for low-income adults in Louisiana. House Bill 174 by Rep. Jared Brossett, D-New Orleans, is a constitutional amendment that would require the state to expand Medicaid coverage as provided by the federal Affordable Care Act. On the Senate side, Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, has authored Senate Bill 77. It is also a constitutional amendment, which means it wouldn’t need a governor’s signature, and unlike Brossett’s amendment it never directly mentions Medicaid. Instead, it says that any Louisiana resident who worked at least 1,000 hours the previous year and has an income below the federal poverty threshold “shall be provided the opportunity by the state to participate in a state program that provides health insurance with essential health benefits, as provided by federal law, with qualifications for such health insurance verified on an annual basis.” Both bills will be up for discussion in the lawmaking session, starts March 10. 
Number of Louisianans signed up for health insurance nears 33,000
New numbers out from the federal Department of Health and Human Services show that 32,684 Louisianans have enrolled in new marketplace health plans as of Feb. 1. While the numbers are lower than reform advocates wanted, monthly enrollment is increasingly quickly with six weeks to go until the March 31 deadline. It is important for the marketplace to have a good mix of older and younger, sicker and healthier enrollees to prevent premiums from spiking and to keep plans affordable. So far, 85 percent of those who picked a plan received financial assistance in the form of tax credits.
Food for thought:
2,000 – The number of low-income Louisianans with HIV/AIDS at risk of losing coverage assistance in the Louisiana federal healthcare marketplace, according to The Advocate.