Health-care groups file records requests

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 12, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Kept in the dark about the Jindal administration’s health-care restructuring plan, physician and hospital groups have filed public records requests to get details.

The Louisiana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Louisiana Hospital Association want copies of documents detailing the proposal the state health agency is discussing with federal officials.

Late last week, the Louisiana State Medical Society complained about a “lack of transparency” as Gov. Bobby Jindal wants to embark on a new way of delivering health care for the poor.

“This lack of transparency is an obstacle to evaluating the feasibility of the proposed plan,” said Roger D. Smith, the head of the state medical society, an association of Louisiana physicians. The proposal in the works involves moving toward a “managed care” insurance type system.

Jindal campaigned for governor on the issue of transparency and its importance in the development of public trust and ethical conduct.

“It’s kind of worrisome when everybody is doing public information requests,” said Paul Salles, chief executive of the Metropolitan Hospital Council and a hospital association executive vice president.

State Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said he is not upset by the groups’ actions nor does he take it personally.

“Everybody is concerned with what they have not read yet,” said Levine. “It is only fair for me to have the opportunity to craft my proposal before people start picking away even before I finish.”

The pediatrics group sought drafts of “concept papers” and documents in which the state seeks special federal permission to operate outside normal rules governing Medicaid, said Steve Spedale, a Baton Rouge physician who specializes in babies needing intensive care.

Also requested were “all documents related to Medicaid reform,” said Spedale, an official with the state group of pediatricians.

Medicaid is the government’s health insurance program for the poor. Next year state government will pay 32 percent of Medicaid program costs. The federal government will pay the remaining 68 percent of the $7 billion-plus program.

The Jindal administration wants to move away from a “fee for service” system where physicians, hospitals and others bill the state and are reimbursed set amounts.

The administration proposes experimenting with “coordinated care organizations” in four areas of the state.