No Louisiana Medicaid plan is objectively the best one, because all six managed care organizations must cover the same core benefits. The best Louisiana Medicaid plan for you is the one whose network includes your current doctors, whose formulary covers your prescriptions without hassle, and whose extra benefits fit your daily life. Everything below is aimed at helping you make that call.
The Six Plans You’re Choosing Among
Louisiana delivers most Medicaid benefits through private health plans called Managed Care Organizations. The Louisiana Department of Health contracts with these MCOs, pays them a fixed monthly amount per member, and holds them accountable for outcomes.1Louisiana Department of Health. Medicaid Managed Care Policies and Procedures Every eligible member picks one of six:
- Aetna Better Health of Louisiana — 1-855-242-0802, available 24/7
- AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana — 1-888-756-0004, available 24/7
- Healthy Blue — 1-844-521-6941, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Humana Healthy Horizons in Louisiana — 1-800-448-3810, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
- Louisiana Healthcare Connections — 1-866-595-8133, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan — 1-866-675-1607, Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
All six lines accept TTY calls through 711.2Healthy Louisiana. View Health Plans If you don’t choose during your initial enrollment window, the state auto-assigns you to a plan. You can change that assignment within 90 days without giving a reason, so an auto-assignment isn’t permanent. Picking your own plan up front just saves you from switching later.
What’s the Same No Matter Which Plan You Pick
Because these are Medicaid plans, Louisiana requires all six MCOs to cover the same core services. The differences between plans aren’t about whether you’re covered for a hospital stay. You always are. Core covered services include:
- Hospital care: inpatient stays, outpatient services, and emergency room visits
- Physician and professional services with doctors, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and physician assistants
- Prescription drugs, covered through each plan’s formulary, with exclusions for cosmetic drugs, fertility treatments, and most over-the-counter medications
- Behavioral health: outpatient therapy, crisis intervention, substance abuse treatment (outpatient, residential, and inpatient), and psychiatric inpatient care
- Medical transportation: rides to and from medical appointments, scheduled through your plan with at least 48 hours’ notice (weekends don’t count toward those 48 hours)
- Family planning services
Home health, durable medical equipment, lab work, and rehabilitative services are also part of the required benefits.3Louisiana Department of Health. Medicaid Services Chart Transportation is worth flagging because many members don’t realize it’s available. If you have a Medicaid health plan, call that plan directly to schedule rides.4Louisiana Department of Health. Medical Transportation
Don’t shop on the core benefits. Shop on the three areas below.
Where the Plans Actually Differ
Provider Networks
This is the single most important factor for most people. Each MCO contracts with its own group of doctors, specialists, and hospitals. If your current doctor is in-network with one plan but not another, that narrows your decision immediately. Out-of-network care is either unavailable or requires prior authorization that can delay treatment.
Before choosing, search each MCO’s provider directory for your primary care doctor, any specialists you see regularly, and the hospital or clinic you prefer. The comparison tool at MyPlan.Healthy.LA.gov lets you check provider networks across all six plans.5Healthy Louisiana. Healthy Louisiana
Prescription Drug Formularies
Each MCO maintains its own list of covered medications. If you take ongoing prescriptions, check whether your drugs appear on the plan’s formulary before you enroll. Two plans might both treat your condition but list different preferred medications, which could mean switching brands, dealing with prior authorization, or paying a copay where another plan wouldn’t charge one. This matters most for chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or mental health disorders where medication changes can be disruptive.
Extra Benefits
Since the core services are fixed, MCOs compete on value-added benefits. Based on the most recent Louisiana Department of Health plan comparison, the extras vary:6Louisiana Department of Health. Compare Health Plans
- Over-the-counter allowance: Aetna Better Health and Humana each offer up to $25 per month for select OTC health products. The other four cover certain OTC items with a prescription and copay instead.
- Gym membership: Humana provides membership at participating YMCAs.
- Rewards: UnitedHealthcare offers cash incentives for pregnancy-related care milestones through its Healthy First Steps program (up to $50 total for enrolling and completing prenatal and postpartum visits).
- Grocery transportation: Humana covers up to 30 one-way rides to the grocery store and social support services for members 18 and older.
These extras change year to year as MCOs renegotiate contracts with the state. Figure out which perks you’d actually use. A $25 monthly OTC allowance is $300 a year in real money for vitamins, first-aid supplies, or pain relievers. A gym membership only matters if there’s a participating YMCA near you.
Quality Ratings as a Secondary Signal
The National Committee for Quality Assurance rates health plans on consumer satisfaction, preventive care, and treatment quality on a 1-to-5 scale. The most recently published NCQA ratings for Louisiana Medicaid MCOs showed Louisiana Healthcare Connections highest overall at 4.0 out of 5.0, with UnitedHealthcare and AmeriHealth Caritas each at 3.5.7NCQA. Medicaid Plans in Louisiana Aetna Better Health and Healthy Blue both scored 3.0.
These ratings reflect historical data, and plans move up and down over time. Use them alongside your own priorities. A plan with a slightly lower overall score but a 4.5 in consumer satisfaction (UnitedHealthcare’s satisfaction score) might matter more if you value responsive customer service. CMS is rolling out a standardized Medicaid quality rating system that will eventually require states to display performance data in a consistent format.8eCFR. 42 CFR Part 438 Subpart G – Medicaid Managed Care Quality Rating System
Dental Coverage Is a Separate Choice
One thing that catches people off guard: dental benefits aren’t part of your medical MCO. Louisiana contracts with two separate dental managed care plans, DentaQuest and MCNA Dental, and you choose one independently.9Louisiana Department of Health. Dental Services Picking a strong medical MCO doesn’t help your teeth. Make sure you’ve also selected a dental plan, or you may be auto-assigned to one without realizing it.
How to Compare and Enroll
MyPlan.Healthy.LA.gov is the starting point. You can compare all six MCOs side by side, search provider directories, and review plan details.5Healthy Louisiana. Healthy Louisiana The free Healthy Louisiana mobile app (search “Healthy Louisiana” on Google Play or the App Store) lets you compare and enroll from your phone.
For help by phone, call the Healthy Louisiana Enrollment Broker at 1-855-229-6848, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some agents speak Spanish, and free interpreter services are available for other languages.10Healthy Louisiana. Contact Us For questions about Medicaid eligibility itself rather than plan selection, call Louisiana Medicaid customer service at 1-888-342-6207.
After enrolling, your MCO sends a welcome packet and member ID card. Keep the ID card with you for every medical visit. The welcome packet explains how to find providers, access benefits, and reach your plan’s member services line.
You Have 90 Days to Change Your Mind
You aren’t locked into your choice permanently. During the first 90 days after enrollment, you can switch to any other MCO without giving a reason. You can make the change online, through the Healthy Louisiana app, or by calling 1-855-229-6848.11Healthy Louisiana. Changing Your Health Plan or Your Dental Plan
After the 90-day window closes, you can only switch for cause. Valid reasons include your plan changing services you need, or being unable to get certain care through your current MCO. The same rules apply to your dental plan.11Healthy Louisiana. Changing Your Health Plan or Your Dental Plan Federal regulations guarantee this 90-day switching right and require states to allow at least one plan change every 12 months after that.12eCFR. 42 CFR 438.56 – Disenrollment Requirements and Limitations
Treat your first 90 days as a trial. If the provider network disappoints, you can’t get timely appointments, or your medications aren’t well covered, switch before the window closes.