BATON ROUGE, La. – This week, Governor Edwards will host a series of events to mark the seven-year anniversary of the expansion of Medicaid in Louisiana. On his first full day in office on January 12th, 2016, Gov. Edwards signed JBE16-01, an executive order expanding Medicaid.

Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 500,000 working Louisianans have access to health care. Thanks to Medicaid expansion, more than 200,000 Louisianans have received cancer screenings and treatment, more than 100,000 Louisianans have received treatment for hypertension, and more than 180,000 working Louisianans have received specialized mental health treatment.

Before Gov. Edwards took office, Louisiana’s uninsured rate among adults was 22.7%. It has fallen by more than half, to 9.4%.

More event details will be released in the governor’s daily public schedules. In addition to the events, the Governor’s Office will be highlighting key facts and stories about the success of Medicaid expansion on social media.