Louisiana Department of Health Medicaid — Medicare Savings Help

LDH Runs the Medicare Savings Programs

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) administers all Medicare Savings Programs in the state through its Bureau of Health Services Financing (BHSF). When you apply for QMB, SLMB, or QI to get help with Medicare premiums and cost-sharing, your application goes to LDH — not to Medicare, not to Social Security, and not to a private insurance company.

LDH operates nine regional Medicaid offices across Louisiana's 64 parishes, plus a network of Medicaid Application Centers at hospitals, community health centers, and aging agency facilities. The application centers can help you fill out paperwork and collect documents, but only LDH civil service staff make the actual eligibility decision.

How to Reach LDH for Medicare Savings

You have several ways to connect with LDH about Medicare Savings Programs:

MyMedicaid.la.gov — the Self-Service Portal (SSP) handles applications, renewals, document uploads, and status checks. You can file an MSP application online any time, but the portal's status labels are vague — "Pending Verification" does not tell you which document is missing.

Phone: 1-888-342-6207, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central. Representatives can confirm case status and explain what's needed. Hold times can be long, especially during open enrollment season.

Mail: Medicaid Application Office, P.O. Box 91278, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-9278.

Fax: 1-877-523-2987. Faxed documents go to a centralized electronic capture system.

In person: Any regional Medicaid office or designated Medicaid Application Center. Walk-in availability varies by location and season.

What LDH Checks When You Apply

LDH uses electronic data matching before requesting paper documents. It verifies your identity and citizenship through SSA data exchanges, confirms your Medicare entitlement against the CMS database, and pulls Social Security income through the State Data Exchange.

You only need to submit documents for things the electronic systems can't confirm — typically pensions, VA benefits, employment wages, or other non-Social Security income. Bank statements and asset documentation are not required for QMB, SLMB, and QI since Louisiana eliminated the asset test.

Federal regulations (42 CFR § 435.912) set a 45-calendar-day determination standard for applications not based on disability and 90 calendar days for applications based on disability, subject to exceptions. If the applicable standard passes without a notice, contact the Eligibility Program Operations unit at (225) 342-9500 or file an administrative grievance.

When LDH Acts as Your Gateway to Extra Help

Filing an MSP application with LDH doesn't just help with premiums. If approved, LDH automatically reports your status to CMS, which deems you eligible for Extra Help — the Part D prescription drug subsidy. You never need to file a separate Extra Help application with Social Security.

This matters because SSA's own Extra Help application enforces a federal asset test that LDH does not. Going through LDH is the path that saves both the Part B premium and prescription costs with one application.

For a complete walkthrough of the LDH application process, income calculations, and what to do if your case stalls, the Louisiana Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help Guide covers every channel and timeline.

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