For the second year in a row, Ira and Margery Milan, married for 82 years, are recognized by the Louisiana Family Forum as Louisiana’s Longest Married Couple. Teiko Foxx has more on the loving couple.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana has decided not to move forward with a proposed sale to Elevance Health. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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A New Orleans couple is being recognized for the second year in a row, as Louisiana’s Longest Married Couple by the Louisiana Family Forum. Ira and Margery Milan of New Orleans have been married for 82 years. President Gene Mills says the Milan’s story is one of love, faith, and joy.
Ira and Margery are both over 100 years old. Ira, a World War II veteran, served in the Philippines. The Milan’s have a large loving family including eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Mills says music has been a major component of their marriage.
In addition to the Milan’s, the Family Forum is also recognizing three couples who were married 77 years: Burl and Mary Clark of Jena, Lloyd and Audrey Schroeder of Jefferson, and Leland and Gussie Lacaze of Robeline.
Mills says it’s important to recognize couples who have long lasting marriages.
The Milan’s will be inducted in the Marriage Hall of Fame and will be joined by the top ten runners up.
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Willis Knighton Health System is celebrating its 100th birthday and marking the occasion with a new name, image, and renewed commitment to northwest Louisiana. President and CEO Jaf Fielder says the facility was originally known as the Tri-State Sanitarium in 1924. It was a small suburban hospital on the outskirts of Shreveport.
Fielder says the word system implies a building and he says they are much more than a facility, so their new name is Willis-Knighton Health.
Fielder says they are keeping the WK logo because it’s one of the strongest known monikers in northwest Louisiana, but it will get a slight makeover, with a modern and sleek font.
In 2023, Willis Knighton Health was ranked the number one hospital in the state by Newsweek magazine.
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The proposed sale of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to Elevance Health is off. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says his office received word last night from Blue Cross that it decided to withdraw its plan to merge with Elevance
Temple’s office scheduled a two-day public hearing on the proposed sale, but it was canceled before it started this morning.
Temple’s approval was needed for the sale to go through. The commissioner says he received a lot of public input on the proposed transaction
UNO Department of Economic and Finances Chair Walter Lane says there was a lot of resistance to the proposed sale because Blue Cross failed to explain why as a non-profit it’s necessary to merge with a for profit company
This is the second time Blue Cross has decided not to move forward with a merger with Elevance. Blue Cross CEO Steve Udvarheyli (Ood-ver-high) told lawmakers he’s concerned about the future of Blue Cross, because health care costs are rising faster than the premiums it charges. Lane says it’s a legitimate concern and it’s why they need a partner