Louisiana

Louisiana Department of Health leaders discuss major changes to Medicaid, SNAP programs coming soon

Published

6 months ago

January 21, 2026

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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Louisiana

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass $250 Billion Price Tag

Published

3 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Press Room

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass 0 Billion Price Tag

Meta Platforms Inc. has committed to spending an additional $40 billion on its sprawling data center campus in Louisiana, pushing its total expected investment beyond $250 billion for the site as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence computing footprint.

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Louisiana

DeRidder man found dead in Sabine River

Published

15 hours ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

NEWTON COUNTY, Texas. (KPLC) – A DeRidder man reported missing was found dead in the Sabine River Sunday morning, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard said Jordan Jamal Allen was located around 7:50 a.m. on July 12 with help from Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and 409 Search and Rescue.

Authorities say the body was recovered not far from where Allen went under Friday night near the U.S. 190 bridge east of Bon Wier at the Texas-Louisiana state line.

The sheriff said that Allen and a woman were said to be wading across the river Friday when the current began pulling the woman.

The sheriff said Allen tried to help her, but went under around 8:45 p.m. and wasn’t seen again. He said the woman made it back to land safely.

We will have more in this story as it develops.

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Louisiana

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

Published

1 day ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.org

WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7-9 p.m, Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org

FRIENDS OF NRA/SOUTHWEST LA BANQUET: 6 p.m., Riverside Bar & Grill, 3748 Louisiana 3059, Lake Charles. Call Brack Cole 337-912-1620. Email: jbcoleair@yahoo.com

ONGOING

STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Through Sept. 7, Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long fishing event. Tagged redfish, coastal/offshore species categories & youth division. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com/star

LOTTERY HUNTS

DOVE/TEAL: July 27 application deadline for dove hunt on Elbow Slough Wildlife Management Area and teal hunt on White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. Website applications only on Wildlife & Fisheries/Louisiana Outdoors License, Permits and Tags webpage. Fee $8.50. Details: dove hunt, David Hayden at dhayden@wlf.la.gov; teal hunt, Lance Ardoin at lardoin@wlf.la.gov

AROUND THE CORNER

JULY 21 — LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call 337-232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

JULY 21-22 — GULF COUNCIL SHRIMP COMMITTEE MEETING: Gulf Council office, 4107 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida. In conjunction with Scientific and Statistical committees. Website: gulfcouncil.org

JULY 23 — ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly tying and local beers provided. Open to the public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: packpaddle.com

JULY 23-25 — International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, Grand Isle Marina & Otto Candies Pavilion, Grand Isle. Website: tarponrodeo.org

JULY 24-25—BASSMASTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com

JULY 26 — SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC & F-Class match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) and Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call Mike Burke, 337-380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except for Breton/Chandeleur sounds; all outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Private recreational red snapper; gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers and wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.