The Louisiana Medicaid miracle
Congratulations, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA), on the remarkable success you've achieved in just a matter of a few months: more than 300,000 people with health coverage who didn't have it before you took office. Actually, it's not all that remarkable, because that's what has happened with Medicaid expansion everywhere it's been implemented.
The Louisiana Department of Health released the latest figures Monday, saying more than 304,000 people are enrolled for the coverage that began July 1.The department says nearly 12,000 Medicaid expansion enrollees have received preventive services through the government-finance insurance program so far, like cancer screenings, colonoscopies and mammograms.
Enrollment opened up on June 1, and coverage in July. So in just three and a half months hundreds of thousands of people gained access to health care. It's remarkable that more than 10,000 have already been brought into the system in order to use it. Who knows how many lives have been saved just in the cancer screenings 12,000 people have had? And the hundreds of thousands more that will happen?
Your regular reminder that yes, elections have consequences, and they can be very good ones.