Emergency Contract Extension Retains Current Medicaid Health Plan

Date: 10/18/19

Last month, the Louisiana Department of Health announced that it is implemented emergency contract extensions with the five current Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs), including Louisiana Healthcare Connections. This emergency contract ensures that the approximately 450,000 members of Louisiana Healthcare Connections will retain access to their current healthcare benefits and providers into 2020. 

Open enrollment has been indefinitely delayed.

The Louisiana Department of Health recently announced that the open enrollment period originally scheduled to begin on October 15, 2019, has been delayed. Medicaid members will need an approved reason to change health plans until a new open enrollment is scheduled. The Louisiana Department of Health is talking to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about plans for open enrollment in the future. Medicaid will send you a letter when it is time for Open Enrollment.

Members should continue accessing care.

During the emergency contract extension, members continue to see their doctor, get the services they need and fill their prescriptions. We don’t want anyone to be confused by the emergency contracts and jeopardize their health.

If any member has questions, please call our member service teams in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and statewide at 1-866-595-8133 (hearing loss: 711), Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free 24/7 nurse advice is also available by calling the same phone number.