Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2008-12-19

Duration: 00:06:26

Subjects: Levine, Alan | Louisiana. Department of Health and Hospitals | Louisiana Health First | Health care reform | MEDICAID | Health Care | Medicaid fraud | Politics | Government

Contributors:

• Sanford, Shauna Producer
• Woods, Virnado Photographer
• Woods, Virnado Editor
• Levine, Alan Interviewee
• Whinham, Charlie Host
• Sanford, Shauna Host

This segment from the December 19, 2008, episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” features Shauna Sanford’s interview with Secretary Alan Levine of the Department of Health and Hospitals on his response to critics of “Louisiana Health First,” Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed plan to change the state’s Medicaid system from fee-for-service to managed care. Secretary Levine argues that the critics of the plan are defending the status quo and did not present evidence to back up their claims, managed care systems have been successful in other states, and that Medicaid fraud remains a huge problem that needs to be solved. He also discusses the racial disparities of diseases in Louisiana, where African Americans are two to three times more likely to have asthma, diabetes, and heart disease, a fact not addressed by the critics. Hosts: Charlie Whinham and Shauna Sanford