New health care insurer enters Louisiana market

Aug. 30--Christus Health Plan Louisiana has been licensed as a health care insurer selling policies in the western third of the state and also will sell Affordable Care Act policies specifically in the Shreveport, Lake Charles and Alexandria areas, where it has a hospital network.

The Irving-based company expects to sell insurance on the ACA exchange, commonly called Obamacare, when open enrollment begins in November for 2020. It is licensed to sell insurance on the health exchange in Caddo, Bossier, Red River, Grant, Vernon, Rapides and Calcasieu parishes.

Though limiting its market area, Christus Health Plan will be a third health care insurer in Louisiana on the exchange. Already on the exchange are Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana and Monroe-based Vantage Health Plan, which Blue Cross acquired. They are statewide ACA providers.

Christus plans to sell insurance directly to individuals as a health maintenance organization in the western third of the state in Caddo, Bossier, Webster, DeSoto, Red River, Bienville, Sabine, Natchitoches, Winn, Vernon, Rapides, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, Cameron and Grant.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has the majority of the market share across the state with more than 88,000 health care policyholders in the individual health care market, according to the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

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