The Louisiana Department of Health announced Thursday that a month‑long enrollment window is now open for the 274,000 members of the Healthy Blue Medicaid program to select a new Medicaid plan for 2027. The enrollment period runs through November 16.
Why the switch is required
Healthy Blue, administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana and Elevance Health, will withdraw from Louisiana’s Medicaid program at the close of this year. As a result, every current Healthy Blue enrollee must move to one of the four remaining Medicaid options: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, AmeriHealth Caritas, Humana Healthy Horizons, or Louisiana Healthcare Connections.
How the state will assign members who do not choose
For members who fail to select a new plan, the health department will use an algorithm to assign them to a plan. According to Albert Simien, who oversees the department’s financial office, the algorithm is designed to keep families together on the same plan whenever possible and to match members with insurers that already cover their existing medical providers.
Notification and continuity of care
Members will receive notice of their new Medicaid plan in late November, followed by detailed information in December. All prior authorizations for medical treatment issued under Healthy Blue will remain valid for 60 days, ensuring that prescriptions and other services continue without interruption even if the new plan’s network differs.
Context of recent Medicaid changes
This is the second major Medicaid transition in Louisiana this year. In April, UnitedHealth exited the state’s Medicaid market after Attorney General Liz Murrill threatened to cancel its contract. UnitedHealth had been covering roughly 330,000 Medicaid members and left the market amid a dispute over the release of legal documents related to prescription‑drug pricing.
Impact on Louisiana’s Medicaid population
Louisiana’s Medicaid program serves about 1.3 million residents, providing health coverage to low‑income individuals, pregnant women, and people living with disabilities. The upcoming plan changes affect roughly one‑fifth of that population.
What families should do
Families are encouraged to review the four available plans carefully, consider provider networks, and select the option that best meets their health needs before the November 16 deadline. The department’s website offers comparison tools and contact information for assistance.
State officials’ perspective
Simien emphasized that the transition is being managed to minimize disruption and protect continuity of care. “Our priority is to keep families together and ensure they retain access to the doctors and services they rely on,” he said during a state Senate Health and Welfare Committee hearing.
Louisiana residents can find enrollment forms and additional guidance on the Department of Health’s website or by calling the Medicaid enrollment hotline.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
