Louisiana

LEAKED: Secret Report On Jindal's Privatization Plan

Eric Lach | June 15, 2011, 9:50AM

A confidential report at the center of the debate over Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's push to privatize state employees' health insurance has been leaked. The so-called "Chaffe report," published Tuesday by the Baton Rouge Advocate, seeks to "establish the fair market value of the operations" of the state's Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which provides health care insurance for around 250,000 state workers, retirees and their dependents.

The Advocate reported that the Chaffe report "concluded that premiums would increase under privatization." The paper also published the complete report online.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Louisiana, Office Of Group Benefits

Bobby Jindal

Jindal Gives Senators Confidential Copies Of Health Care Agency Report

Eric Lach | June 10, 2011, 9:29AM

Updated at 11:57 AM ET

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has handed over a report it commissioned on the agency that manages state employees' health insurance, after state senators on Wednesday raised the propsect of a legislative subpoena. But the report is still not being made available to the public.

Brenda Hodge, communications director for the Louisiana state Senate, told TPM that the subpoena was not issued because lawmakers were able to "reach an agreement with the [the Division of Administration] a to receive a copy of the report."

The report, prepared by New Orleans company Chaffe & Associates, was commissioned as part of the administration's plan to privatize the Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which oversees health care for around 250,000 state workers, retirees and their dependents. The report apparently analyzes OGB's financial value. At a Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee confirmation hearing last week, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater and OGB Chief Scott Kipper were asked about the report. During the hearing, Rainwater promised to get senators a copy of the report, but this week he went back on that pledge. That prompted lawmakers to vote to issue a subpoena -- though it was never issued.

While handing over the report, Rainwater asked the senators to keep the document secret, according to The Associated Press.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Louisiana, Office Of Group Benefits

Bobby Jindal

Lawmakers Subpoena Jindal Over Health Care Agency Report

Eric Lach | June 9, 2011, 9:23AM

Members of a Louisiana State Senate panel voted Wednesday to issue a rare legislative subpoena, and gave the Jindal administration 24 hours to turn over a report it commissioned on the agency that manages state employees health insurance.

The administration's plan to privatize the agency, the Office of Group Benefits (OGB), has been under fire from critics for months, and questions have been raised over the fate of OGB's $500 million surplus. Recently, the fight has centered on the so-called "Chaffe report," a financial analysis of OGB prepared for the state by New Orleans-based Chaffe & Associates. Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater, in charge of the agency that oversees OGB, told members of the State Senate's Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee at a hearing last week that they could have copies, but later went back on that pledge. Those same Senators have now put some force behind their request.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Louisiana, Office Of Group Benefits

Bobby Jindal

Pre-Resignation, Louisiana Official Gave Trainwreck Testimony On Health Care Privatization (VIDEO)

Eric Lach | June 9, 2011, 6:45AM

Just a few days before his resignation was announced, Scott Kipper, the man handpicked to help the Jindal administration privatize Louisiana state employees' health insurance, was grilled by lawmakers about the plan. At a hearing on June 1, some members of the State Senate's Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee accused Kipper of being less than truthful in his testimony.

The administration has said that privatizing the Office of Group Benefits, which manages the health insurance of around 250,000 state workers, retirees and their dependents, would save taxpayers money, and get the state out of the health insurance business. But critics have countered that OGB isn't broken, and doesn't need fixing, and some have raised questions about the fate of the agency's $500 million surplus.

At the hearing last week, though, the senators were particularly focused on the so-called "Chaffe report," an evaluation of OGB recently prepared by a New Orleans company named Chaffe & Associates. Lawmakers wanted to know why the administration has kept the report private, and Kipper struggled to come up with answers they liked.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Louisiana, Office Of Group Benefits

Bobby Jindal

Resignation Raises New Questions On Jindal's Health Care Privatization Push

Eric Lach | June 8, 2011, 6:45AM

Less than two months ago, Scott Kipper replaced Tommy Teague as the head of Louisiana's Office of Group Benefits (OGB). Teague was apparently ousted for his refusal to go along with the Jindal administration's plan to privatize the agency, which manages state workers' health insurance. This week, the saga took another twist, with Kipper turning in his own resignation.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Office Of Group Benefits

Louisiana

Louisiana House Green-Lights Ten Commandments Monument At Capitol

David Taintor | June 8, 2011, 6:45AM

Louisiana lawmakers are doing Moses a solid.

On Monday, the Louisiana state House approved a measure to install a monument to the Ten Commandments outside the capitol, Reuters reports.

The measure -- sponsored by state Rep. Patrick Williams (D) -- passed unanimously without debate. Williams took less than 30 seconds to describe the bill, the Times-Picayune reports.

The monument, according to Williams, is intended to be historical, not religious. A secular message, "Context for acknowledging America's religious history," with be printed on a plaque on the monument.

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Topics: Bobby Jindal, Louisiana, Ten Commandments