Hurricanes provide impetus for health system reform in Louisiana

Abstract

The clear lesson, for Louisiana and any other state that is contemplating the potential disruption of health care following large-scale dislocations caused by either natural or man-made major disasters, is that proper mechanisms must be put in place before the event. This is necessary to provide greater portability of health care coverage and alternatively, temporary finance that coverage. Our Louisiana State Medical Society's plan Health Access Louisiana will help Louisiana recover from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and serve as a model for the reform of our healthcare coverage system for our country. We firmly believe the devastation in Louisiana presents a unique opportunity to rebuild a healthcare system from scratch. The new system will not be a modification of the old system, which did not work, but a system which effectively and economically offers equal access to high quality healthcare for all.