Louisiana's Medicaid program is called Healthy Louisiana. Most personal care services run through five managed care organizations — UnitedHealthcare's contract ended December 31, 2025, and its approximately 500,000 members were distributed across the remaining five plans. Louisiana also has its own EVV system called LaSRS — it is not HHAeXchange, and providers coming from other states need to build separate workflows for it. And a 2024 enrollment rebaseline means managed care providers who previously only credentialed with MCOs now need direct state enrollment too. Here is what Louisiana operators need to know.
Louisiana offers personal care through two distinct Medicaid pathways. Understanding which pathway applies to which client — and how billing differs between them — is the first operational question for any Louisiana agency.
LT-PCS is Louisiana's Medicaid State Plan personal care benefit for adults who need nursing facility level of care. Income limit is 100% of the SSI FBR — approximately $994/month for individuals in 2026. This makes LT-PCS the pathway for the most financially limited clients.
LT-PCS is administered through the five Healthy Louisiana MCOs. Claims go to the member's MCO. There is no waitlist — it is a state plan entitlement for eligible members.
Level of care is determined by the Level of Care Eligibility Tool (LOCET). MCOs require prior authorization for LT-PCS services based on the LOCET score and the member's plan of care.
The CCW is Louisiana's primary 1915(c) HCBS waiver for adults 21+ who need NFLOC and want to remain in the community. Income limit: 300% of FBR (~$2,982/month in 2026). This broader threshold opens CCW to middle-income clients who don't qualify for LT-PCS.
CCW has approximately 7,900 enrollment slots per year as of 2025, with a waitlist on a first-come, first-served basis (with priority groups). Services include personal care, homemaker, ADHC, assistive technology, emergency response, and community transition support.
The Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) Waiver is separate — approximately 900 slots per year, also with a waitlist, providing daytime supervision in a center-based setting.
December 12, 2025 — UHC Exit: Louisiana DH announced it would not renew its contract with UnitedHealthcare beyond December 31, 2025. Former UHC members were transitioned to the five remaining MCOs. If you were credentialed with UHC in Louisiana and served UHC-enrolled members, verify that those members have been reassigned and that you are credentialed with their new plans.
Each MCO has its own credentialing process, prior authorization requirements, and claims submission format. State Medicaid enrollment through the LDH portal is required separately and does not substitute for MCO credentialing. Both must be in place before a claim can be paid.
MCOs are not available uniformly statewide for all service lines — verify each plan's covered geographic areas and service types for your specific parish and service category before beginning credentialing efforts.
LaSRS is Louisiana's EVV system. It is not HHAeXchange. It is not Sandata. LaSRS (Louisiana Services Reporting System) was built by Louisiana DH and operates independently. The MCOs are required to mandate LaSRS for personal care providers. Louisiana uses an open EVV model — providers may use an alternate system approved by BHSF, but visit data must flow to LaSRS. If your software currently integrates with HHAeXchange, that integration will not work for Louisiana. You need LaSRS integration or to use LaSRS directly.
LaSRS is accessible on any device with internet access. Workers clock in and out, capturing GPS coordinates, timestamp, caregiver identity, and member identity. The system generates EVV records that support LDH audit and billing validation.
October 2024 Provider Enrollment Rebaseline: LDH launched a rebaseline requiring all providers — including those previously operating only under MCO credentialing — to enroll directly with Louisiana Medicaid through the state portal. Under prior rules, MCO-credentialed providers did not need separate state enrollment. Federal requirements changed this. Providers who did not complete rebaseline enrollment by designated deadlines risk claim denials and deactivation. If you are operating in Louisiana under MCO contracts and have not completed state portal enrollment, do so immediately. State enrollment and MCO credentialing are both required and separate processes.
| Billing Element | System/Process | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State Medicaid Enrollment | LDH web-based portal (post-October 2024 rebaseline) | Required for all providers — including those only serving managed care members. Separate from MCO credentialing. |
| MCO Credentialing | Each MCO separately | Required for each plan you intend to bill. Not transferable between plans. |
| EVV | LaSRS (state-built, open model) | Not HHAeXchange. MCOs must require LaSRS for PCS providers. Alternate EVV requires BHSF approval and LaSRS integration. |
| Claims — MCO members | Each MCO directly | The member's MCO pays claims. Each MCO has its own claims portal and timely filing requirements. |
| Claims — FFS members | Gainwell (Louisiana fiscal intermediary) | Small FFS population. Most members are managed care — verify enrollment status before billing Gainwell. |
Five MCOs: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Humana, and Louisiana Healthcare Connections. UnitedHealthcare's contract was not renewed beyond December 31, 2025. Former UHC members were transitioned to the remaining five plans by LDH. If you previously served UHC-enrolled members, confirm their new MCO assignments and verify your credentialing status with those plans.
LaSRS (Louisiana Services Reporting System) is Louisiana's own state-built EVV system, maintained by LDH. It is entirely separate from HHAeXchange (used in many other states) and from Sandata. Providers must use LaSRS or an LDH-approved alternate system that integrates with LaSRS. MCOs are contractually required to mandate LaSRS for PCS providers. If your scheduling or billing software was configured for HHAeXchange integration in other states, that integration will not serve Louisiana. You need separate LaSRS setup and worker training before beginning Louisiana operations.
The Community Choices Waiver has approximately 7,900 enrollment slots per year and a waitlist. Most applicants are placed first-come, first-served. LT-PCS has no waitlist — it is a state plan benefit. In practice, agencies serving LT-PCS members can build a more predictable pipeline since eligible members receive services without waiting. CCW adds a broader service set and higher income threshold, but the waitlist creates longer lead times between referral and service start. Many Louisiana agencies start with LT-PCS to build volume and operational capacity, then add CCW as their administrative workflows mature.
It means that if you have been serving Louisiana Medicaid members only under MCO credentialing — without separately enrolling with LDH through the state portal — you are out of compliance with current federal and state requirements. The rebaseline required all providers, including managed care providers, to enroll directly with Louisiana Medicaid. Agencies that did not complete this enrollment by designated deadlines risk claim denials and deactivation. Check your enrollment status on the LDH Provider Lookup Tool and submit a portal enrollment application if you have not done so. This process is separate from and in addition to your MCO credentialing.
Louisiana agencies navigating five separate MCO billing relationships, LaSRS EVV compliance, and the state enrollment rebaseline are managing significant simultaneous complexity from day one. CareBravo delivers all of it as completed operational work — so your office focuses on building the referral relationships that drive growth.