More the 351-thousand Louisianans are now enrolled in Medicaid as part of the expanded healthcare program, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Emelie Gunn has more…
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Bayou Country Superfest has announced the lineup for their first show in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Michelle Southern has more…
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A bill co-authored by US Senator Bill Cassidy that seeks to reform mental healthcare has passed the US House and could receive Senate approval next week. Cassidy says this legislation is two years in the making, with the goal of making sure patients are not denied care. He says the bill should foster more mental health professionals, as well as create more outpatient treatment settings.
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Cassidy says someone with mental illness dies 20 years younger than someone without it because physical health problems aren’t addressed. In his bill, the same day rule allows someone to be seen by a psychiatrist and physical health doctor on the same day. He adds there’s three times more mentally ill people in prisons than hospitals.
Cassidy says some privacy laws inhibit communication between mental health providers and in-home care givers. He says the bill also establishes a Grant program focused on intensive early intervention for children who demonstrate signs of mental illness.
The bill also provides for suicide prevention and substance abuse programs.
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More than 86-hundred Louisiana residents are receiving care for chronic conditions under the expansion of Medicaid. That’s according to the Louisiana Department of Health, who says enrollment has surpassed 351-thousand individuals. LDH Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee says many people are now getting healthcare they weren’t receiving while uninsured.
Gee says treatment has started for nearly 600 adults newly diagnosed with diabetes and over 3-thousand adults received colonoscopies and 786 patients had precancerous polyps removed. She says the Medicaid expansion should lead to better health outcomes for working citizens who were previously uninsured.
Gee says they are still unclear with will happen with the expanded Medicaid program when President-elect Trump takes office. She says if the expansion were to be repealed, Louisiana would lose 4 billion dollars and thousands would be uninsured.
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The Cajundome will host its first event tonight since completing a 22-million dollar renovation, as the Ragin’ Cajuns basketball team will take on Nicholls State tonight. Cajundome Director Greg Davis believes people will be impressed with the updates.
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Davis expects the renovated dome will help them recruit better basketball players. He says they’ll also be at an advantage competing for big name acts, adding that they are still able to host events like monster truck shows, ice hockey games, and circuses.
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Davis says the flow of the facility has also been updated to give patrons easier access to restrooms. He adds that the overall experience in the Cajundome has been greatly enhanced.
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The lineup for next year’s Bayou Country Superfest over the Memorial Day weekend has just been announced, featuring super stars Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, and Hank Williams Jr. Producer Quint Davis says it’s all new again because it’s coming to New Orleans for the first time.
Davis says they’re doing it big this year with 6 acts a night, instead of 5, and three headliners each night. He says it will be interesting to see how Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert interact over the Memorial Day weekend, since the two divorced last year.
The 3-day festival was moved to the Superdome after LSU could not host the fest in its usual venue, Tiger Stadium, due to renovations. Davis expects the festival to have a huge impact on tourism in New Orleans.