Cutting the healthcare budget in Louisiana to address a state budget crisis would be a disastrous move, according to Baton Rouge (La.) General Health System CEO Mark Slyter.
Louisiana is facing an estimated budget shortfall of $1.9 billion by the end of the next fiscal year. To address the deficit, state officials are looking at a number of options, including cuts to healthcare funding.
"So right now, we're talking about cutting another $131 million out of the healthcare budget and how devastating that would be for healthcare," Mr. Slyter told The Advocate.
Because the federal government provides approximately $1.65 for every dollar the state spends on healthcare, the healthcare budget cut would actually be closer to $350 million, according to the report.
Mr. Slyter and other local hospital officials, including Ochsner Medical Center Baton Rouge CEO Eric McMillen, recently spoke at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber's monthly luncheon about the budget crisis.
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