Louisiana
Louisiana Department of Health leaders discuss major changes to Medicaid, SNAP programs coming soon
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana health officials discussed significant changes to Medicaid and SNAP programs during the annual Louisiana Department of Health shareholder meeting, including new work requirements and restrictions on food purchases.
The department plans to fight rising healthcare costs by modernizing systems to better identify gaps in coverage. Louisiana currently ranks last for overall health in the country.
LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein said the department’s focus this year is changing the narrative and increasing innovation through reforms to both SNAP and Medicaid programs in the state.
New verification tools for SNAP
Camille Conaway, executive director of Economic Independence, said the state is introducing new tools to help case workers keep payment error rates down to comply with a new threshold set by federal legislation.
“Right now, or historically, when someone says well I make x or y, we had no way to actually verify that that was accurate, apart from them uploading their wage statement or offering some sort of documentation,” Conaway said.
The state must reduce its error rate to below 6% to avoid taking on additional costs.
“We’re changing policy, review cases before they’re authorized, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the state of Louisiana does not have to take on the burden of the cost of that benefit,” Conaway said. “So that is over and above our top priority because of how many people it will impact far beyond the snap program if we fail to get under that 6% rate.”
Medicaid work requirements
Around 1.5 million people use Medicaid in the state. Seth Gold, executive director of the Bureau of Health Services Financing, said changes to funding will bring new challenges.
“The major initiative that we’re really going to take over this next year is going to be the establishment of new work requirements for working-age adults that will hopefully help move individuals from dependence into independence and then furthering our efforts to engage in reducing fraud case and abuse,” Gold said.
Starting January 1, 2027, working-age adults will be required to demonstrate 80 hours of either school, work, training, volunteering, or a combination per month.
Secretary Greenstein said these changes will help set the state up for decades to come.
“When we have a stable budget, and when we’re building for sustainability, this is when it feels right because our investments are going to last for decades, not just for the next year or two,” Greenstein said.
SNAP food restrictions
Changes are coming to SNAP recipients in just a few weeks. A waiver excluding soft drinks, candy, and junk food from being purchased with SNAP dollars goes into effect on February 18.
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NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A driver died from a gunshot wound after a Louisiana State Police car chase in New Orleans Saturday evening (June 20), but troopers say they did not fire the gun.
Troop NOLA confirmed the car chase ended near Franklin Avenue and North Miro Street Saturday. Troopers said they found the driver shot and brought them to the hospital, where that person died.
The driver’s identity has not been released.
A Troop NOLA spokesperson said he could not confirm if anyone else was in the car, if anyone has been arrested, or if troopers found a gun.
A spokesperson said more details will be released as a state police force investigation continues.
Troop NOLA is a special investigation unit tasked with proactive policing, traffic enforcement and crime reduction.
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Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Shelby Bordelon of Iberville Parish was crowned Miss Louisiana 2026 Saturday night in Monroe, earning the title and a $15,000 scholarship. Bordelon, a graduate student at Southeastern Louisiana University, said the role is about more than pageantry, emphasizing the yearlong service mission tied to the crown.
“Part of the mission of this organization is the service behind it,” Bordelon said. “And the service is so important, you are serving your state for a year… having the opportunities to connect with others… to continue making an impact and leaving my mark on others as well.”
Bordelon, who finished first runner-up in last year’s competition, said the moment her name was called as the winner still hasn’t fully sunk in.
“It was every emotion you could think of that was running through my mind at that moment,” she said, adding she focused on preparation and perspective this year. “I really wanted to go into this year with no regrets… just really trusting in that mindset and that plan.”
Bordelon said she hopes to use her platform to raise awareness for her nonprofit, Claire’s Promise, which focuses on combating drunk driving.
You can learn more about the nonprofit here. She will now represent Louisiana at the Miss America Pageant, which begins in late August in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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