Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 273: HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to inpatient licensed facilities. (8/1/26) (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

SB 273 establishes new requirements for hospice care provided in non-hospice inpatient facilities like nursing homes and assisted living centers in Louisiana. It mandates written care plans for hospice patients detailing providers, care responsibilities, and family contacts; requires facilities to notify hospice providers and families during transfers; and creates patient logs tracking hydration/nutrition decisions and family communication. The bill directly affects hospice patients, their families, and facility staff by clarifying accountability and communication protocols during care. The Louisiana Department of Health will oversee compliance, investigate complaints, and enforce penalties for violations of these provisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates written care plans, transfer notifications, and patient logs for hospice care in facilities, enhancing patient rights and care coordination in vulnerable settings.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

signed · Louisiana · House May 22, 2026

HB 676: CRIME: Creates the crime of fraudulent patient referrals or "body brokering" (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

HB 676 prohibits paying or receiving money for referring patients to substance abuse, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment facilities, defining this practice as "body brokering." It bans kickbacks tied to referral volume, treatment duration, or service type, but allows fixed payments unrelated to these factors. Violators face up to 5 years in prison, $50,000 fines, license suspension, or civil penalties. The law directly affects health care providers, facilities, and entities involved in patient referrals for substance use disorder treatment.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBans kickbacks for mental health/substance use referrals, preventing fraud and protecting patient care integrity in healthcare services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse

passed · Louisiana · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 311: DONATIONS: Provides procedures and methods to execute gifts under the Anatomical Gift Act. (1/1/27)

SB 311 updates Louisiana's rules for organ and tissue donations after death. It clarifies who can authorize donations (including family members with legal documents), creates new systems for tracking both donation authorizations and refusals via state registries, and defines key terms like "donor registry" to standardize procedures. These changes directly affect donors, hospitals, organ procurement organizations, and medical teams handling donations. The bill modernizes existing law without altering donation policies, focusing on clearer legal processes for families and healthcare providers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareModernizes organ donation procedures, clarifies authorization, and standardizes registries to improve patient access to transplants, strengthening healthcare services.85% confidence

Track

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 22, 2026

SB 30: HEALTH CARE: Provides relative to telehealth. (gov sig)

SB 30 prohibits Louisiana state agencies and licensing boards from banning telehealth services for evaluating, diagnosing, or treating obesity and related metabolic conditions. It directly affects licensed healthcare providers who use telehealth to deliver these services. The bill requires that providers may prescribe FDA-approved or compounded noncontrolled medications via telehealth while operating within their license scope and standard of care. This policy change removes regulatory barriers to telehealth for these specific conditions, without altering existing licensure requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves regulatory barriers for telehealth access to obesity treatment, improving patient access to care under license scope and standard of care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Telehealth

in committee · Louisiana · Senate Apr 7, 2026

SB 37: HEALTH DEPARTMENT: Provides relative to lead poisoning prevention. (8/1/26) (EG +$1,205,479 GF EX See Note)

SB 37 establishes a statewide lead poisoning prevention program within Louisiana's Department of Health. It requires lead testing in early learning centers and schools (with prekindergarten programs or elementary grades) built before 1978 to obtain occupancy approval, and mandates healthcare providers to report confirmed lead poisoning cases. The program also sets protocols for detecting lead sources (prioritizing areas with recent cases and children under six) and requires abatement of lead hazards when contamination is found. These changes directly affect schools, healthcare providers, and the Department of Health, focusing on prevention, testing, and treatment for children under six.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires lead testing and abatement in schools (pre-K/elementary) built before 1978 to ensure safe learning environments, directly supporting school infrastructure safety.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates lead testing in schools and abatement of lead sources, directly reducing environmental exposure to a toxic pollutant per pollution control indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes lead poisoning prevention program requiring school testing and healthcare reporting, strengthening public health protections for children under six.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood

Track

passed · Louisiana · Senate Mar 30, 2026

SB 168: BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Provides relative to the Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority. (2/3CA7s2.1(A)) (8/1/26) (OR INCREASE SG EX See Note)

SB 168 amends Louisiana's regulatory framework for addiction counseling by defining key terms and establishing new credentialing pathways for peer support specialists. It creates specific roles like "peer support specialist associates" and "supervisors," outlines their scope of practice (non-clinical support based on lived experience), and clarifies that peer services complement, but do not replace, clinical treatment. The bill also defines "addictive disorder," "behavioral health condition," and "core functions" (e.g., screening, assessment, case management) for addiction counselors. This procedural bill focuses on regulatory structure rather than direct service changes and is currently pending referral to the Health and Welfare Committee.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates credentialing pathways for peer support specialists in behavioral health, expanding non-clinical support services that complement clinical treatment per bill's scope.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Mental Health Substance Abuse

Track

in committee · Louisiana · House Mar 9, 2026

HB 771: INSURANCE/HEALTH: Provides relative to Medicare as the secondary payer for retirees with employer-sponsored health insurance (OR NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 771 requires health insurers to treat Medicare as the primary payer for retirees who return to work and receive employer-sponsored health coverage, meaning Medicare covers costs first rather than secondary. It applies specifically to Medicare-eligible retirees who previously retired but are now reemployed under an employer health plan regulated under state law. The bill mandates insurers coordinate payments this way unless federal law (like 42 CFR §411.32) requires otherwise, without changing existing coverage benefits. This clarifies payment order between Medicare and employer plans for affected retirees.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires Medicare as primary payer for retirees, reducing out-of-pocket costs and improving coverage coordination under employer plans.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Medicare

Track

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 3, 2026

HB 740: MEDICAID MANAGED CARE: Provides for independent claims review of Coordinated System of Care providers

HB 740 creates an independent review process for Medicaid claims related to the Coordinated System of Care (CSoC) program in Louisiana. It directly affects behavioral health providers and families enrolled in CSoC, which serves youth with significant behavioral health challenges who are in or at risk of out-of-home placement. The bill establishes that claims denials for CSoC services must undergo review by an independent third party, rather than being handled under the standard Medicaid managed care process. This change ensures CSoC-specific claims get specialized review, addressing gaps in the current system for this vulnerable population.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates independent claims review for Medicaid behavioral health services, preventing arbitrary denials and improving access for youth with mental health needs under CSoC program.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 15, 2026

SB 26: HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to opioid treatment programs. (gov sig)

SB 26 repeals two Louisiana statutes (R.S. 40:2116(B)(5) and 2159) that required facility need reviews for opioid treatment programs. This bill directly affects opioid treatment facilities in Louisiana by removing a specific administrative review requirement. The key change is eliminating the need for these facilities to undergo a separate review process before operating, streamlining their regulatory compliance under state law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves administrative barriers for opioid treatment facilities, advancing rehabilitation programs aligned with criminal justice reform.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves administrative review requirement for opioid treatment facilities, streamlining operations and improving access to healthcare services under public health programs.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Substance Abuse

signed · Louisiana · House May 29, 2026

HB 193: HEALTH/SICKLE CELL ANEM: Provides for the membership of the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission

HB 193 restructures the membership of Louisiana's Sickle Cell Commission by specifying who serves on it. The bill requires the governor to appoint 13 members (with Senate confirmation), including key health officials like the Louisiana Department of Health secretary and Medicaid director, plus executive directors from seven regional sickle cell associations across the state. It repeals previous membership provisions that listed additional, less-specific roles. This is a procedural change affecting only the commission's composition, not sickle cell treatment or funding.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestructures sickle cell commission with health officials to improve oversight of sickle cell care, a public health program.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid