Medicaid provider might end its coverage for Ochsner network, affecting 70,000

One of Louisiana’s four Medicaid plans might no longer cover treatment at the state’s largest healthcare network, Ochsner Health System, after Dec. 1, potentially affecting 70,000 people.Louisiana Healthcare Connections, a private Medicaid plan the Centene Corp. manages, told Ochsner on June 1 it was considering ending coverage for its hospitals and clinics. The two companies have been in negotiations for a new contract since that time but haven’t reached an agreement yet, according to a letter sent from Ochsner to the Louisiana Department of Health last week.