Models for Change Fact Sheet Series: An Overview of Louisiana's Medicaid and SCHIP Programs
This summary is intended to assist professionals who work in systems serving children, such as juvenile justice and child welfare. For more information about Medicaid and its key concepts as they relate to the juvenile justice system, see A Medicaid Primer for Juvenile Justice Officials.
As of January 2008, 1,007,188 adults and children were covered under Louisiana’s Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Louisiana operates its SCHIP program as an expansion of Medicaid. There were 891,451 people enrolled in the Medicaid program and 115,737 children enrolled in SCHIP. In federal fiscal year 2005, approximately $5.3 billion was spent for Medicaid services in Louisiana, and an additional $126 million was spent for SCHIP services. (These figures include spending for both adults and children.) The federal government supplied 71 percent of the funding for Medicaid and 80 percent of the funding for SCHIP.
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For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
