This bill requires the Louisiana Department of Health to set minimum reimbursement rates for nonemergency medical transportation services used by Medicaid recipients. It establishes a minimum payment of $14.50 per trip plus $2.10 per mile for transportation providers. The Louisiana Department of Health must implement these changes by October 1, 2026, through a Medicaid state plan amendment. This policy change directly affects transportation providers serving Medicaid patients and the state's healthcare administration.
This bill updates the rules for licensing occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in Louisiana. It requires applicants to pass a national certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and establishes specific fees for applying for and renewing licenses. The legislation also creates several pathways to waive the exam requirement, including for those already certified before the law takes effect, those licensed in other states with equivalent standards, state employees in specific therapy roles, and graduates of member nations of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. Additionally, it exempts therapists working in state facilities or agencies from continuing education requirements and clarifies the professional titles and abbreviations that licensed individuals may use.
HB 1249 amends the rules governing school-based health centers to ensure their operations align with specific existing provisions within the same legislative section. This change directly affects the administration of health services provided to students by requiring consistency between different parts of the governing text. The bill does not introduce new services or funding but rather clarifies how current regulations should be interpreted and applied. By adding a reference clause, the legislation streamlines the legal framework for these health programs without altering their core functions.
This bill requires Louisiana Medicaid to cover FDA-approved weight loss medications for eligible adults over eighteen. To qualify, patients must have a BMI of 30 or higher with at least one related health condition like diabetes or hypertension, or a BMI of 35 or higher without additional conditions. Coverage will require prior authorization limited to verifying these eligibility criteria, with initial approval for six months and continued coverage depending on documented clinical improvement. The bill also prohibits step therapy requirements for these medications and mandates that the Department of Health implement the coverage while maintaining fiscal sustainability.
HCR 120 establishes the PACE Task Force to study GLP-1 medications, which are drugs used for diabetes and weight loss that have seen a massive increase in demand and cost in Louisiana. This concurrent resolution directs the task force to investigate how these drugs affect insurance premiums, accessibility for different income groups, and the long-term financial impact on both public and private insurers. The group will consist of representatives from state agencies, health plans, and medical providers, who will meet to analyze pricing differences between diabetes and weight loss uses before submitting their findings to the legislature by February 2027.
This resolution asks the Louisiana State University School of Health Sciences to study how environmental risks affect maternal health. The study must identify connections between chemical exposures and health issues like respiratory or reproductive problems and deliver a written report by July 1, 2027. Findings will be shared with state health committees and the legislative research library to help guide future public health policies. The measure does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal request for research.
HB 198 requires Louisiana's Medicaid program to reimburse ambulatory surgical centers at least 100% of the Medicare rate for gastroenterology procedures. This directly affects outpatient surgical centers providing these specific medical services and ensures they receive consistent, updated payments. The bill mandates annual reimbursement adjustments to match Medicare rate changes and requires the Louisiana Department of Health to implement these changes by October 1, 2026. It also authorizes the Department to create necessary rules under state administrative procedures. This policy change standardizes payments for a defined set of procedures, aiming to maintain provider access to Medicaid coverage.
SB 4 changes Louisiana's water fluoridation policy by ending the state mandate for fluoridation in public water systems. Instead, it requires local voter approval via election for any system to fluoridate, with exceptions for systems already meeting natural fluoride levels. This directly affects public water systems serving over 5,000 connections that currently fluoridate or need to adjust fluoride levels. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027, replacing the previous requirement with a local decision process.
This Senate Concurrent Resolution asks the Louisiana Department of Health and commercial health insurers to raise payment rates for behavioral health crisis centers that hold a specific crisis receiving center license. The bill highlights that current Medicaid reimbursement of $549.40 per day is insufficient to cover the actual cost of providing 24-hour care with the required staffing levels, which an independent analysis estimates at $1,163 per day. By urging these payors to adjust rates to reflect true operational costs, the resolution aims to support facilities that offer short-term stabilization services to individuals in mental health crises. This change is intended to help ensure these centers can remain financially viable and continue serving the community, as inadequate funding has currently limited the number of such providers in the state.
HB 89 ensures that retired district attorneys and assistant district attorneys in Louisiana's Third Judicial District with at least 24 years of full-time service receive full coverage for their health insurance premiums. The district attorney's office will pay 100% of the premium - either the retiree's current plan or the equivalent amount paid by a current employee - regardless of age. Once retirees become Medicare-eligible, the office continues covering their supplemental plan premiums to maintain comparable coverage. This applies only to retirees who retire after the bill's effective date.
