Igloo is quite correct, that the various states take different positions on many issues, although the overall scheme of Medicaid is federal law, so a basic understanding of what that law is would be important regardless of your state. As to Louisiana, you may wish to go here: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/faq/category/24
First of all, the book is really really worthwhile to have whatever state you live in as it provides an overview of & planning benchmarks for dealing with Medicaid. You have to understand what Meducaid (& Medicare as well ) is designed to do & his book does that. So many of the other "medicaid help" really are books promoting the authors investment scheme.
Buy Heisers book, you can't go wrong.
Second, but you have to keep in mind that because medicaid is administered by each of the states, each state does this uniquely as states laws & budget make a difference. Btw I'm in NOLA & have dealt with MIL medicaid in NOLA & then in TX after Katrina. For LA - since we are French based for our laws - often runs legal very different than other states ( which are English/Great Britian based). Because of this, If you want to do anything in LA, you have to hold LA license. Most of the white shoe law firms have associates who hold license in LA and then also for TX /MS /AL /FL to make clients needs better served. But if you want to do anything legal in LA, all paperwork has to be LA license & seals.
LA - due to FR law influence - has some things you don't always see. Like usafructs are really common & these can be used to deal with probate & medicaid estate recovery MERP issues. LA laws had exclusion of heirs until recently could not ever be done even for illegitimate heir.
Another thing is that the State can determine where funding goes. Jindal has really cut health & education programs (which many many are for the aged) & this done EVEN before the oncoming budget crisis due to low O&G revenue which props up the state budget. Medicaid diversionary funds for AL is now going to private contractor PACE programs. Several mental health facilities are no longer run by the state but now privately run. If Vitter become the next guvnor
If Vitter gets elected ( which seems predetermined) & O&G stays low, you can likely expect that state support of any Medicaid programs will be either phased out or cut to the bone or turned over to private entities. There is talk of reducing NH reimbursement rate by 30% - which is also what TX legislature is banting about to be done & will pass in TX. If that happens, a lot of NH will close as there is no profit, they cant afford to operate. Meanwhile the 10-12K a mo. private pay senior facilities are sprouting up everywhere, eg what's going on at the old Uptown SQ site in NOLA. If your elder needs medicaid to pay for NH, get them into one soon is my suggestion. The oncoming financial cluster to hit LA is real, there was a great article on this in last weeks NYT. It is not going to be pretty.
The book I have, the 2015 edition is pretty general and not state specific. Even if it was, the states are busy passing new laws, almost daily it seems. Louisiana seems to be running in crisis mode. According to medicaidwaiver.org the waiting list in Louisiana is 10,000 people long. Try the AARP.org website for information, they are actually suing LA.
As to Louisiana, you may wish to go here: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/faq/category/24
Buy Heisers book, you can't go wrong.
Second, but you have to keep in mind that because medicaid is administered by each of the states, each state does this uniquely as states laws & budget make a difference. Btw I'm in NOLA & have dealt with MIL medicaid in NOLA & then in TX after Katrina. For LA - since we are French based for our laws - often runs legal very different than other states ( which are English/Great Britian based). Because of this, If you want to do anything in LA, you have to hold LA license. Most of the white shoe law firms have associates who hold license in LA and then also for TX /MS /AL /FL to make clients needs better served. But if you want to do anything legal in LA, all paperwork has to be LA license & seals.
LA - due to FR law influence - has some things you don't always see. Like usafructs are really common & these can be used to deal with probate & medicaid estate recovery MERP issues. LA laws had exclusion of heirs until recently could not ever be done even for illegitimate heir.
Another thing is that the State can determine where funding goes. Jindal has really cut health & education programs (which many many are for the aged) & this done EVEN before the oncoming budget crisis due to low O&G revenue which props up the state budget. Medicaid diversionary funds for AL is now going to private contractor PACE programs. Several mental health facilities are no longer run by the state but now privately run. If Vitter become the next guvnor
Even if it was, the states are busy passing new laws, almost daily it seems.
Louisiana seems to be running in crisis mode. According to medicaidwaiver.org the waiting list in Louisiana is 10,000 people long.
Try the AARP.org website for information, they are actually suing LA.