Melinda Deslatte, Associated Press
Updated 3:05 pm, Monday, September 19, 2016
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Thousands of people enrolled in Louisiana’s Medicaid expansion program have received preventive services that in some instances have identified cancer, diabetes and other illnesses, state Health Secretary Rebekah Gee said Monday.
More than 305,000 people have signed up for the coverage that began July 1. Gee said nearly 12,000 of them so far have gotten annual exams, cancer screenings, colonoscopies, mammograms and other services through the government-financed insurance program.
“That’s real people getting real care in real doctors’ offices because of Medicaid expansion,” the health secretary told the Press Club of Baton Rouge.
As Louisiana readied for the expansion program, questions were raised by lawmakers, health providers and others about whether people would get a Medicaid insurance card but have trouble finding available doctors or clinics willing to see the influx of new patients.
Gee said data from the first two …
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