Vision

Louisiana relies on these programs more than most states. Roughly 1.86 million Louisianans are on Medicaid (about 40% of the state), and about 939,000 are on Medicare. Applying those statewide shares to Louisiana’s 4th District (pop. ~757,390) means an estimated ~306,000 neighbors on Medicaid and ~155,000 on Medicare right here at home.

The new One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025) slashes federal Medicaid funding, adds nationwide work requirements (80 hours/month with complex monthly or semiannual red tape), limits state financing tools, and phases in other rules that historically cause eligible people to lose coverage. KFF and ASTHO estimate millions will lose Medicaid, with coverage losses concentrated in states like Louisiana; CBO-based allocations show the uninsured rate rising markedly here. We’ll fight to block, mitigate, and reverse these cuts, protect eligibility, and keep families covered.

Cuts endanger rural care. Thirty-three Louisiana rural hospitals are flagged “at risk” under these policies. When rural hospitals close or convert, maternity wards, ERs, and cancer care disappear and jobs go with them. We’ll defend hospital funding, preserve rural access, and push every federal lever available to stabilize facilities from Shreveport and Bossier across the timber and Fort Johnson corridor.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” weakens pillars of affordable coverage, shrinking Medicaid and changing ACA rules that keep premiums and deductibles down. KFF finds the law’s Medicaid and ACA provisions drive millions more uninsured, with Louisiana among states projected to see one of the steepest increases. We’ll move to shore up ACA affordability (premium tax credits and cost-sharing help), protect Marketplace eligibility (including against new exclusions), and keep plan options competitive for small-town and working-class families.

We’ll also guard groups targeted by recent changes. Analyses highlight that lawfully present, very low-income immigrants and some mixed-status families will face new barriers to subsidized coverage unless states step in; we’ll fight to prevent disenrollment and maintain continuity of care for kids and caregivers. And when agencies issue rules that would push people off coverage through added fees or paperwork, we’ll be the first to challenge them and keep doors open.

Finally, we’ll defend Medicare from back-door cuts and protect prescription drug savings already in place. Louisiana has nearly a million Medicare beneficiaries, and more than half nationally are now in Medicare Advantage, changes to benchmarks or star rules ripple quickly here. We’ll insist on fair payments, robust networks, and consumer protections so seniors aren’t stuck with surprise costs or shrinking benefits.

Health security isn’t real if families lose income when they get sick or have a baby. Louisiana has no statewide paid family/medical leave for private-sector workers (only state employees get six weeks of paid parental leave). Parents here report average child-care costs around $7,600 per child per year (far higher if unsubsidized), with many saying cost is a top barrier to staying in the workforce. We’ll pursue a federal floor for paid family leave and sustained child-care funding so working parents can care for loved ones without losing wages or coverage.

Those investments pay off in rural Louisiana, where care deserts force long drives and missed shifts. Our plan pairs national policy with district-level delivery: grow the child-care supply, stabilize providers, and tie leave and child-care access to better health outcomes (prenatal care, well-child visits, mental health). We’ll also support Louisiana’s efforts to streamline eligibility so families aren’t ping-ponging between programs.

We believe health care is a right. While we protect today’s coverage from OBBBA’s cuts, we’ll keep working toward universal coverage: the simplest way to end churn, paperwork traps, and rural hospital instability. KFF’s modeling shows the new law pushes uninsured rates up; we’ll fight for a system that pushes in the opposite direction, guaranteeing care, reducing administrative waste, and stabilizing provider finances across North and Central Louisiana.

In the meantime, we’ll take every practical step to protect people here in LA-4: defending Medicaid and CHIP for kids, safeguarding Medicare benefits for seniors and people with disabilities, holding insurers to their promises, and using every waiver and grant to keep clinics and hospitals open. That’s how we put our district first, no matter your income, zip code, or stage of life.