UL BOUNCES BACK, TROUNCES LIPSCOMB IN NCAA REGIONAL 1CC THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
S u n d ay, M ay 31, 2026
$2.50X
Nearly 200K have left Medicaid in Louisiana, numbers show Either fewer going without care or becoming less dependent, experts say
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Motorists travel along University Avenue on Friday as the University Avenue Corridor Project roadwork and beautification continues in Lafayette.
Businesses blast redesign
University Avenue project draws criticism; officials promise fixes
Staff writer
University Avenue corridor project
ve. yA
Business has been slow along University Avenue ever since construction on the roadway began around a year and a half ago, said Sokmey Kov, the girlfriend of the owner of Express Donuts. But with the $10 million project nearly complete, a curb running down the center of the roadway continues to impact sales, she said. “Nobody comes to buy doughnuts. They closed the road, so nobody comes. If there are no customers, I have to close my store,” Kov said. A doughnut shop relies heavily on impulse and quick stops on the way to work. When it’s an inconvenience to get to the business, those drivers just keep on driving. Kov said
49
sit ver Uni
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL
10
90 Cameron St.
LAFAYETTE
90
Staff map
Abraham Perez, left, and Jose Rubio secure a recently planted Montezuma cypress tree on University Avenue on Friday. that business has dropped around 50% to 60% since construction began. The conversations are similar at other businesses along the busy thoroughfare connecting Interstate 10 to downtown Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. When Jean-Paul Guidry,
owner of the Motor City car dealership at the intersection of University and West Willow, first heard about the project, he said he supported it and thought it might drive business to an area that had deteriorated. But he said the new roadway might confuse any potential customers about
how to enter his lot. “It’s been a struggle. I don’t know what their game plan was, but you’d figure somebody putting a project like this together would be a lot more organized and thought-out about it,” Guidry said. The concerns go beyond access to businesses. Some residents are having difficulty entering their neighborhoods or cannot enter
ä See REDESIGN, page 9A
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Nearly 200,000 people have left the Medicaid rolls in Louisiana over the past 12 months, raising this question: Are they better off because they are now covered by private insurance? Or are they now without health insurance at all? Having more people covered by health insurance — either by Medicaid or an employer-sponsored plan — means more people are getting treatment from doctors and nurses for preventive care and chronic illnesses. That matters, especially in Louisiana, since the state typically ranks as the unhealthiest in the country. But whether the drop in enrollment is viewed positively seems to depend on a person’s philosophical views. Gov. Jeff Landry, Health Department Secretary Bruce Greenstein and key Republican state legislators count the reduction as a success, saying it’s a sign that fewer people in Louisiana are dependent on government. “People who are eligible are getting the services they need, McMath and people who are not eligible are not costing the taxpayers any more dollars,” said state Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, who chairs the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Others believe, however, that too many people falling off the Medicaid rolls are now without health insurance, and that is causing havoc for them. “Some of the individuals who were dropped — they didn’t know until they went to the doctor and called my office,” said state Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge. “Most of them have been placed back on immediately. But some don’t know to call their member to get their services back.” Landry said Wednesday that 100,000 fewer people in Louisiana need Medicaid today because
ä See MEDICAID, page 9A
Officials say state needs seismic network
A 4.9 magnitude earthquake was identified in March near La. 177 in Red River Parish, according to the U.S. Geological Survey website.
as questions mount over whether activity It would help understand rash siana related to oil and gas production is to blame. Earthquakes have been occurring in northwest of earthquakes in northwest La. Louisiana at least since 2019. But a run of earth-
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL
quakes starting in late 2025 and peaking with bigger quakes in early March, when Red River Parish was struck with three temblors between 4 and State regulators and LSU officials are working 5 on the Richter scale, have drawn new attention to create a seismic monitoring network to underä See EARTHQUAKES, page 9A stand a rash of earthquakes in northwest Loui-
Staff writer
WEATHER HIGH 90 LOW 74 PAGE 6B
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT
Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
Dr. Sydney Crackower NOW OFFERING Weight Loss Injections
101ST yEAR, NO. 335
Helping People Lose Weight For Over 50 Years.
337-988-4116
701 Robley Drive #100, Lafayette 70503