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Lake Charles council authorizes publication of notices for hospital provider participation program
Summary
The council voted to publish required public notices for a proposed local provider participation program that would use hospital-contributed assessments to unlock federal Medicaid matching funds; the vote authorized notices only and did not approve any assessment or rates.
Michael Neil, a consultant assisting Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and Christus, told the City Council on July 15 that the item before the council was limited to authorizing state-required public notices and not to approving any hospital assessment or program. "This is just a vote to authorize putting out the public notices," Neil said. He explained the local provider participation program would use hospital funds (not city funds) and, by law, "they cannot pass this assessment on to their patients," adding the assessment is intended to unlock federal matching funds to support Medicaid services.
The notice-authorization vote directs the city to publish notices required under Louisiana law and schedules a later public hearing and ordinance vote if the program proceeds. Council members asked for additional details at the final vote; Neil and other hospital representatives agreed to return for a fuller presentation at the later meeting. Mr. Marx recused himself from the consent item because of his employment with Lake Charles Memorial, and the council recorded the final tally on the notice authorization as six in favor and one abstention.
The council’s action does not enact any hospital assessment or change city budgets; it only allows the city to begin the public-notice process required by Louisiana Revised Statute 40:1248.1–1248.10. The hospital representatives said they would provide fuller information at the subsequent hearing when any assessment or ordinance is formally considered.
