Obamacare individual market enrollment hits it’s lowest level in Louisiana since the option came online in 2014. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Senator John Kennedy says the decision by Cook County prosecutors not to pursue charges against actor Jussie Smollet, who police staged a fake hate crime, is another example of how the rich and famous get to play by a different set of rules…
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LSU basketball fans making the trip to Washington DC to see the Purple and Gold face off with Michigan State on Friday will have good company from alumni that already live in the area. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 3 (29) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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Obamacare signups are down 15 percent in Louisiana this year, and the 93,000 enrollees mark the lowest level of participants since the individual market came online in 2014.
Enrollment is also down 57 percent from it’s high point in 2016, and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that’s because 2016 was the year of the Medicaid expansion.
214,000 enrollees were on the exchange in 2016.
The individual market subsidizes low income earners seeking health insurance, but Donelon says when the Medicaid expansion kicked in, many of those low income individuals qualified for Medicaid, which is free government insurance.
Over 500,000 people have enrolled in Medicaid since Governor Edwards accepted the mostly federally funded expansion.
While Donelon puts the bulk of the drop-off on the Medicaid expansion, he does credit the state’s improving economy with putting more workers on employer based health insurance programs.
Louisiana had the 3rd highest rate of enrollment drop offs in the nation.
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Senator John Kennedy is calling on the US Attorney’s Office to pursue action against former Empire star Jussie Smollett for allegedly faking a racially motivated assault against himself. This comes after Cook County prosecutors dropped their charges against the actor.
Kennedy says he’s encouraged by reports that the feds are stepping in where local authorities failed.
The prosecution says the case against Smolett was dismissed after he agreed to a set of conditions, including 16 hours of community service and forfeiting his 10-thousand dollar bond, which means he doesn’t get it back. It’s also been reported prosecutors also took into account that it was a non-violent crime. But Kennedy still disagrees with the decision made by the Cook County state’s Attorney’s office.
The Senator says the Smollet case and the college admissions scandal paints a picture that shows the rich, famous, and powerful don’t have to follow the same rules as the average person.
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LSU hoops fans heading to the nation’s capital to see the Tiger take on Michigan State Friday in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament will have a warm welcome from the DC’s LSU Alumni Chapter. Chapter secretary Ginger Gibson says they are excited to welcome Tiger fans from Louisiana and around the nation.
Cut 10 (10) “…that we’re organizing.”
The game may take place on Friday, but Gibson says the celebration starts tonight at an Irish pub near the venue for the Sweet 16 showdown. Gibson says it’s tricky to come across Louisiana flair when it’s time to a party in DC.
Cut 11 (12) “…will be played.”
Gibson says while the presence of Tigers fans is noticeable, there are rival teams that are having quite a bit of visibility in the area.
Cut 12 (12) “…be Virginia Tech.”
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The Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction for the man who fatally shot former Saints player Will Smith in a 2016 traffic dispute. Legal analyst Tim Meche says the opinion of the panel to reject all grounds of the appeal of Cardell Hayes was very thorough.
The three-judge panel unanimously rejected the appeal. Hayes was sentenced to 25 years in December 2016. Meche says some of the actions of his legal representation did not help his case.
Cut 14 (12) “…during the trial.”
Meche says the next step would be to appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court, but says Hayes is unlikely to get relief because of a lack of objection from his attorney to the issues being raised.
Cut 15 (11) “…raise certain issues.”
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LSU will need its bats to wake up in Starkville as the Tigers begin a three-game series against Mississippi State tonight. Following the Tigers two-to-nothing loss to McNeese on Tuesday, the team held a players only meeting. Senior third baseman Chris Reid hopes the heartfelt gathering makes guys hungrier…
The Bulldogs are 23-3 overall and they’ve scored 53 runs in their last three games. They are led by senior outfielder Jake Mangum, who is hitting over four-hundred. Mainieri says Mangum is one of the best to ever play SEC baseball…
cut 17 (22) “starting pitchers”
Junior right-hander Zack Hess will get the start on the mound for the 12th ranked Tigers. Hess hopes the loss to McNeese is a turning point in their season…