FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2009
For more information, please contact:
Jim Harris or Brad Lambert
225-344-0381 office
jharris@hdaissues.com
blambert@hdaissues.com
BLUEPRINT ADDRESSES STREAMLINING COMMISSION
HIGHLIGHTS HEALTH CARE, TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS
BATON ROUGE, La. — Emphasizing its consistent commitment to a better-run and more efficient state
government, Blueprint Louisiana today appeared before the Louisiana Commission on Streamlining
Government to reiterate its recommendations on health care and transportation.
Health care reform has widely been regarded as the most challenging component of the Blueprint Agenda.
Louisiana has historically been rated among the least healthy states in America, and the state has consistently
had a large uninsured population. What’s more, the state’s unique health care model funds 10 state-run
hospitals that are primarily responsible for delivering health care to the uninsured while operating alongside a
system for patients with private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.
Throughout its existence, Blueprint has encouraged Louisiana to embark on a path toward a single,
competitive health care system that is more efficient, cost-effective and better meets the needs of all patients.
Responsibility for providing care to the uninsured should be shared by the private and public sectors, with an
emphasis on local governance, allowing LSU to focus on world-class medical education and research.
“We have consistently advocated for a common-sense, affordable expansion of coverage for Louisiana’s
uninsured as well as strengthening medical education in the state, said Blueprint Louisiana Chairman Bill
Fenstermaker, President and Chief Executive Officer of C.H. Fenstermaker & Associates of Lafayette. “The
proposed Our Lady of the Lake-LSU partnership for indigent care in Baton Rouge holds great potential and
could possibly serve as a public/private partnership model for other markets.”
For the time being, consideration of health care reform by Congress has essentially delayed any state-level
reforms. However, state health officials are engaged with the federal government on a couple of key issues
(FEMA reimbursement for Charity Hospital damage during Hurricane Katrina and Federal Medical Assistance
Percentages (FMAP) reimbursement rates for Medicaid).
“While it remains unknown what will happen with federal health care reform and its impact on states, we still
face issues with our large uninsured population and state-run charity system,” Fenstermaker said. “We must
come to grips with those issues once and for all, hopefully in a way that emphasizes better preventative and
primary care and allows LSU to focus on physician training and medical research.”
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Blueprint Louisiana News Release
Page Two
12/1/09
Transportation funding is another vexing problem facing the federal government as well as states. Vehicle
miles traveled are declining, yet transportation funding is largely based on a gasoline tax. Declining vehicle
miles equal lower gas tax proceeds and less money for transportation projects. In this environment, Blueprint
believes the state must be willing to consider alternative funding options, some of which were highlighted in a
January 2009 study for the National Governors Association.
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Public-private partnerships that leverage private capital and expertise;
Tolling, vehicle miles traveled fees, congestion pricing and other user fees; and
Debt financing strategies, including state infrastructure banks.
“We acknowledge that the state’s overall budget situation makes the push for sustained, predictable
transportation funding very hard,” Fenstermaker said. “But one of the best ways to spur job creation and
economic activity is through infrastructure investment. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that
every $1 billion spent on transportation and matched by states supports approximately 35,000 jobs. We also
know improved transportation infrastructure and mobility is an important contributor to our overall quality of life
and the ability to retain and attract businesses to our state.”
Established in 2006, Blueprint Louisiana is a citizen-driven effort to identify and implement essential changes
to fundamentally improve Louisiana. The group’s original vision for a better Louisiana focused on major
governmental reforms in the areas of ethics, education, workforce development, health care, transportation
and coastal restoration and hurricane protection. Earlier this year, it added a “new economy” component to
its reform agenda. The nonpartisan effort is led and supported by community and business leaders from
across the state.
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