Governor John Bel Edwards and state Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee unveiled a report on the economic impact of Medicaid expansion. Edwards says according to the LSU report, Louisiana is saving 317-million dollars in state money and providing medical care to those who can’t afford it.
Edwards says, "From a public health perspective, we're saving lives in Louisiana, and we're ensuring that our workforce is healthy and ready to fill the jobs that we're creating all through the state."
Governor Edwards says many who have recently diagnosed with cancer, are able to receive medical care with expansion.
Edwards says, "Had we not expanded Medicaid, 623 Louisianians who have been diagnosed with cancer may never have found out they had that illness until it was too late."
The report says Medicaid expansion through the infusion of one-point-eight billion dollars in federal dollars has created over 19-thousand jobs in the health care sector, resulting in nearly three-point-six-billion-dollars in economic activity. Dr. Gee says healthy people are important to the state’s economy. She says if you’re sick, you’re not a productive person.
Gee says, "The economic impact has been tremendous because healthy people are also people who can work."