Which Medicaid plan is best in Louisiana for adults?
Louisiana Healthcare Connections is often considered the top choice for adults because it is the state's largest Medicaid health plan with the widest provider network.
All Healthy Louisiana plans provide the same core state-mandated benefits, such as doctor visits, prescription drugs, and basic hospital care, but they differ in extra perks and customer satisfaction ratings.
Top Medicaid Options for Adults
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections: Best for overall network size and provider availability as the largest plan in the state.
- AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana: Best for consumer satisfaction, frequently scoring high marks in member surveys and care quality.
- Healthy Blue / Aetna Better Health / Humana Healthy Horizons / UnitedHealthcare: Alternative state-contracted plans that offer unique value-added extras like allowances for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, rewards for healthy habits, or specialized diabetes support.
How to Choose the Best Plan
- Check your doctors: Visit the Healthy Louisiana Compare Plans tool to see if your current or preferred local doctors accept a specific plan.
- Compare extra benefits: Look at specific adult extras, such as added dental coverage limits, vision allowances, or wellness rewards.
- Switch if needed: You can change your Healthy Louisiana health plan up to two times a year if your current choice is not working out.
What is the best Louisiana Medicaid health plan?
There is no single "best" Louisiana Medicaid plan, as the right choice depends on your specific doctors, prescription drugs, and health needs. However, different plans stand out for specific reasons:
- Overall Patient Experience: Louisiana Healthcare Connections is the largest Medicaid plan in the state and ranks high for general customer satisfaction with coverage and care.
- Specialized Care (e.g., Diabetes): AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana earns strong quality ratings for managing chronic conditions like diabetes.
- Extra Benefits: Plans like Aetna Better Health of Louisiana offer extra perks such as allowances for adult vision, dental care, and transportation.
Note: Healthy Blue will no longer offer a Medicaid plan after December 31, 2026, so members will need to select a new option.
How to Find the Best Plan for You
Every Healthy Louisiana plan covers the same core basic medical services, pregnancy care, and prescriptions. To choose the best one for your situation, compare the extra benefits and provider networks:
- Check if your current doctors and preferred hospitals accept the plan.
- Review the Healthy Louisiana Plan Comparison Tool to see extra perks like over-the-counter allowances or vision coverage.
- Confirm your regular prescription medications are covered on the plan's drug list.
What is the most popular Medicaid plan?
L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest individual Medicaid managed care plan in the United States, with nearly 2.4 million enrollees.
Top Medicaid Managed Care Plans
Medicaid is run at the state level, so "popularity" or enrollment size depends heavily on where the plan operates. According to KFF data for managed care organizations (MCOs), the largest individual plans by total enrollment include:
- L.A. Care Health Plan: ~2.4 million enrollees (California)
- Health Net (Centene): ~1.6 million enrollees (California)
- Fidelis Care (Centene): ~1.53 million enrollees (New York)
- Inland Empire Health Plan: ~1.49 million enrollees (California)
- Kaiser Permanente: ~1.4 million enrollees (California)
Major Nationwide Insurers
On a corporate level, multi-state companies like Centene Corporation (operating plans like Fidelis Care, Health Net, and Buckeye Health Plan) manage Medicaid coverage for millions of members across multiple different state-specific names rather than just one single unified national plan.
What is the best Medicare plan in Louisiana?
The best Medicare plan in Louisiana depends on whether you choose a bundled Medicare Advantage plan or an Original Medicare plan paired with a Medigap supplement. Top-rated options vary by provider strengths and location.
Top Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plans
- Humana: Ranks highest for overall availability and plan choices in Louisiana, offering strong HMO and PPO options with extra perks like Part B premium givebacks.
- Peoples Health: Highly rated for customer satisfaction and rapid appointment access, featuring $0 premium options for standard plans.
- Aetna: Noted for high government quality ratings and solid federal CMS star performance across large service areas.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana: Offers broad regional coverage and popular HMO-POS and PPO choices like the Blue adVantage lineup.
- Ochsner Health Plan: An integrated option providing coordinated local care specifically tailored for patients inside the Ochsner Health system.
Top Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans
- Plan G: The top choice for comprehensive coverage, filling nearly all gaps left by Original Medicare except for the Part B deductible.
- Plan N: A lower-premium alternative that requires small office or emergency room copays.
- Top Carriers: Providers like USAA and Transamerica Corporation offer competitive supplement pricing and comprehensive coverage in the state.
What types of Medicaid are there in Louisiana?
Louisiana Medicaid, known as Healthy Louisiana, offers several types of coverage categorized by population group, income level, and specialized medical needs.
Main Coverage Groups
- Medicaid Expansion: Provides full health coverage for low-income adults aged 19 to 64 who make under 138% of the Federal Poverty Level.
- LaCHIP (Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program): Offers low-cost or free health coverage for children under the age of 19.
- LaMOMS: Specifically provides health and prenatal coverage for pregnant individuals.
- Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) Medicaid: Offers coverage for seniors (65 and older) and individuals with qualifying disabilities.
- Take Charge Plus: Provides family planning services and related health screenings for men and women.
Long-Term Care and Specialized Programs
- Nursing Home Medicaid: Pays for care inside licensed nursing facility settings for eligible seniors and disabled individuals.
- Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers: Provides specialized support options (such as the New Opportunities Waiver or Community Choices Waiver) so individuals can receive care at home or in the community instead of a facility.
- Medicare Savings Programs: Helps low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay for their Medicare premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles.
- Medicaid Purchase Plan: Offers a way for working individuals with disabilities to buy into Medicaid coverage.
Managed Care Health Plans
Most members receive their Louisiana Medicaid Services through private managed care organizations contracted under Healthy Louisiana. You can compare or choose a provider through the Healthy Louisiana Plan Comparison tool. The participating health plans include:
- Aetna Better Health
- AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana
- Healthy Blue
- Humana Healthy Horizons
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
Provider Outreach: How Medicaid and LaCHIP Recipients Will Choose a BAYOU HEALTH Plan
What are the four types of Medicaid?
The four main types of Medicaid are categorized based on the specific groups of people they cover.
The Four Main Types
- Children's Medicaid: Covers infants, children, and young adults (usually up to age 18 or 21). It provides checkups, immunizations, and hospital care.
- Adult/Expansion Medicaid: Covers low-income adults aged 19 to 64, including pregnant individuals. This category grew significantly after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed states to expand coverage.
- Aged, Blind, and Disabled (ABD) Medicaid: Covers seniors aged 65 and older, as well as people with qualifying blindness or disabilities. It often helps pay for Medicare costs and everyday medical care.
- Long-Term Care (LTC) Medicaid: Covers nursing home care or home- and community-based services for people who need daily assistance with personal care or medical supervision.
Who are the Medicaid providers in Louisiana?
Louisiana Medicaid operates through managed care plans under the Healthy Louisiana program.
Managed Care Plans
The primary health plans providing Medicaid coverage in Louisiana include:
- Aetna Better Health of Louisiana
- AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana
- Healthy Blue (scheduled to end December 31, 2026)
- Humana Healthy Horizons in Louisiana
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
Finding Individual Doctors and Clinics
Individual medical providers, primary care doctors, and specialists can be located using official tools:
- Search by location, specialty, or specific health plan using the Louisiana Health Plan Provider Search.
- Look up active enrolled medical professionals across different regions and parishes through the Louisiana Department of Health Provider Locator.
What is not covered by Medicaid?
Medicaid generally does not cover elective, non-medically necessary, or cosmetic procedures, though exact rules vary significantly by state.
Common Exclusions
- Cosmetic Surgery: Procedures done purely for appearance (like face-lifts or elective plastic surgery) are excluded unless required for reconstruction after an injury or illness.
- Fertility Treatments: Services such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and artificial insemination are typically not covered, with rare exceptions in certain states.
- Private-Duty or Live-In Nursing: Round-the-clock home nursing or caregiving provided by a household member is generally excluded outside of specific state waiver programs.
- Over-the-Counter Items: Standard household or personal items like bandages, adult diapers, vitamins, and non-prescription supplements are usually not paid for.
- Experimental Treatments: Procedures, drugs, or devices not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or considered unproven are excluded.
- Non-Emergency Travel: Routine transportation to standard doctor appointments (outside of emergency medical transit) may be limited or excluded depending on state rules.
Who is the biggest Medicaid provider?
Centene Corporation is the largest Medicaid managed care organization in the United States, serving roughly 12.1 million members across 30 states.
The "Big Five" National Insurers
Nationwide, about half of all Medicaid managed care (MCO) enrollment is controlled by five large publicly traded parent companies:
- Centene Corporation (approx. 22% market share)
- Elevance Health (approx. 11% market share)
- UnitedHealth Group (approx. 9% market share)
- Molina Healthcare (approx. 5% market share)
- CVS Health (Aetna) (approx. 3% market share)
Largest Individual Managed Care Plans
When looking at single, localized health plans rather than national parent companies:
- L.A. Care Health Plan is the largest single public Medicaid/Medi-Cal managed care plan in the country, with nearly 2.4 million enrollees in California.
- Other large single-state or regional operations include Centene's subsidiaries like Health Net and Fidelis Care, as well as the Inland Empire Health Plan.
How can I change my Medicaid plan in Louisiana?
You can change your Healthy Louisiana plan online through the Healthy Louisiana Plan Portal, by downloading the mobile app, or by calling 1-855-229-6848.
How to Switch Your Plan
- Online: Go to MyPlan Healthy Louisiana, log in or create an account, select "Change Plan," compare your choices, and confirm your pick.
- By Phone: Call 1-855-229-6848 (TTY: 1-855-526-3346) to speak with a representative who can update your plan.
- Mobile App: Download the free Healthy Louisiana app on Google Play or the Apple App Store, log in, navigate to plan management, and choose your new plan.
Rules and Limits for Changing Plans
- Change frequency: You can switch your health or dental plan up to two (2) times per calendar year for any reason.
- After two changes: Once you use your two changes for the year, you must stay in that plan until the next calendar year begins, unless you have a special "for cause" reason (like moving out of the service area or poor quality of care).
- New members: If you are newly enrolled, you have the first 90 days to freely change your health or dental plan.