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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana equalizes Medicaid reimbursement rates for independent rural health clinics
Last action · June 8, 2026: Effective date: 06/08/2026.Sponsors: Joe Stagni and 2 others
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What This Bill Does
Louisiana requires the Department of Health to increase Medicaid encounter reimbursement rates for independent rural health clinics by $41.50 in fiscal years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, and subjects types one and two rural health clinics to .
Independent rural health clinics receive higher Medicaid s, and new facilities face formal state review to determine community need.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
independent rural health clinics
Independent rural health clinics receive an increase of $41.50 to their Medicaid encounter rate across two fiscal years.
Louisiana Department of Health
The department must equalize Medicaid reimbursement rates, promulgate rules, submit monthly reports, and seek federal approval.
Key Facts
- Independent rural health clinics will receive a $41.50 increase to their Medicaid encounter rate in fiscal years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028.
- Types one and two rural health clinics are added to the list of healthcare providers subject to facility need review.
- The annual Medicare Economic Index inflationary adjustment must be applied to the reimbursement rate.
- The Louisiana Department of Health must submit a monthly report to the legislature detailing monthly encounters and expenditures for each type one clinic.
Show all 5 facts
- Implementation of the reimbursement changes is subject to the approval of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which rural health clinics are eligible for the reimbursement rate increase?
Who must approve the reimbursement changes before they take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
24 actions- Jun 8, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 859.
- Jun 8, 2026HouseEffective date: 06/08/2026.
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 31, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, roll called, yeas 95, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
Show 18 earlier actions
- May 27, 2026HouseScheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 26, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate with amendments.
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 20, 2026SenateRules suspended. Recalled from Committee.
- May 20, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 14, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
- May 13, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- May 6, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
- May 5, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 91, nays 6. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- May 5, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 29, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 05/05/2026.
- Apr 28, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, amended, ordered reengrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseReported with amendments (14-0).
- Apr 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.
- Apr 1, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (9-0).
- Mar 17, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
- Mar 16, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title. Lies over under the rules.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
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Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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