New Orleans Mayor Issues Statement on Anniversary of Expansion of Medicaid in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, July 3 -- New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu issued the following statement regarding the one-year anniversary of Gov. John Bel Edwards expansion of Medicaid in Louisiana:

"Expansion of Medicaid coverage to more than 436,000 Louisiana adults is absolutely essential to protecting the health and wellbeing of Louisiana's working families. Governor John Bel Edwards should be applauded for making access to healthcare and bringing our federal tax dollars back home. Tens of thousands of New Orleanians remain caught in an unfortunate trap of working hard but still not being able to afford private health insurance. Expanding Medicaid coverage has created a healthier workforce and a stronger, more prosperous city and state."

Last week, Mayor Mitch Landrieu wrote a letter urging U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy to reject the healthcare bill the U.S. Senate is set to vote on in the coming days. This comes following the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) release of a report detailing the bill's potential impact saying it would result in more than 22 million Americans becoming uninsured by 2026, compared to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

"The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed our worst fear--the Senate's healthcare plan is more damaging to Louisiana than the bill that the House of Representatives passed in May. The Senate bill will increase premiums by 20 percent next year and in the coming years, it will strip 22 million Americans of health insurance while slashing taxes for a sliver of the population.

"Not only that, the Trump/GOP healthcare proposal will result in fewer doctors and a higher out of pocket cost for American citizens. As a doctor, Senator Cassidy understands that Louisiana has seen this type of substandard healthcare before. That is why every major healthcare group in the nation opposes the Senate plan.

"The proposed bill will take Louisiana back to the days when an ear infection meant a mother loses her job because she waited hours in an emergency room with her sick child. Adults with aging parents will again have sleepless nights wondering how they will afford a good nursing home that provides quality care. And tens of thousands of mothers will go back to the days when they struggled to afford pre- and post-natal care for themselves and or their newborn babies.

"While the Affordable Care Act can be strengthened in some areas, it has improved the lives of nearly 575,000 Louisiana citizens. Nearly 70,000 New Orleanians now have access to healthcare under the ACA who didn't have it before thanks to the marketplace and Medicaid expansion.

"America cannot be strong if she is not healthy. I will continue to stand with my fellow Mayors and the American people to fight for real, affordable healthcare for all. As the U.S. Conference for Catholic Bishops warned, "the loss of affordable access for millions of people is simply unacceptable. These are real families who need and deserve health care.'"