What common medical visits cost in Louisiana - and how they compare to nearby states

In the patchwork of health care providers in the United States, determining what a medical visit might cost can be confusing at best and life-altering at worst. The vast majority of patients who arrive at the hospital for a service recommended by their doctor do so without knowing the cost of that treatment. The price tag on most medical visits is so high for the uninsured, a full one-third of all money raised on GoFundMe is for health care costs.

A raft of legislation in nearly every state is set on tackling some of these endemic issues, with energy aimed squarely at lowering costs and expanding access. Some of this legislation is grand in scope, notably in states like New York where legislators are looking to put a public option on the table for residents there. Other states are taking a narrower approach, requiring providers to release price lists so patients are aware of what their care will cost.

Stacker analyzed cost data released on June 8, 2021, from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, common provider data from Verywell Health, and state zip codes from Simplemaps to find the average out-of-pocket cost for three typical medical visits in each state.

Louisiana

- Most common family practice visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $100.09 for established patients ($86.89 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.02 for established patients ($21.72 for new patients)
- Most common internal medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $100.09 for established patients ($130.62 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.02 for established patients ($32.66 for new patients)
- Most common pediatric medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $100.09 for established patients ($86.89 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.02 for established patients ($21.72 for new patients)

A law passed in 2019 made one kind of procedure more affordable for Louisiana residents. Act 461 requires insurers to cover breast cancer screenings for those who have had bilateral mastectomies and have been declared cancer-free. The requirement also applies to Medicaid recipients.

Some trends held steady across most states. For family practice and pediatric visits, new patients often pay less than established patients. For internal medicine visits, new patients frequently pay more than established patients. Both of these trends exist regardless of insurance type.

Transparency is increasingly paramount in American health care. Keep reading for a look at what common medical visits cost in neighboring states and the state-level factors that may influence these costs.

Texas

- Most common family practice visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $101.20 for established patients ($87.36 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.30 for established patients ($21.84 for new patients)
- Most common internal medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $101.20 for established patients ($130.71 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.30 for established patients ($32.68 for new patients)
- Most common pediatric medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $101.20 for established patients ($87.36 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $25.30 for established patients ($21.84 for new patients)

In a rare show of bipartisan unity, Republicans and Democrats in Texas worked together in 2021 to put forward a bill focusing on two cost-saving priorities. The first is lowering prescription drug prices. The second would expand telehealth services to all residents in the state, regardless of whether they have public or private health care coverage.

Arkansas

- Most common family practice visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $95.61 for established patients ($82.31 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $23.90 for established patients ($20.58 for new patients)
- Most common internal medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $95.61 for established patients ($123.79 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $23.90 for established patients ($30.95 for new patients)
- Most common pediatric medicine visit costs
--- Medicare recipients: $95.61 for established patients ($82.31 for new patients)
--- Other insurance holders: $23.90 for established patients ($20.58 for new patients)

Arkansas has some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the country. Across the nation, 84% of health care costs come from the management of chronic disease, so it follows that Arkansas spends a considerable portion of its health care costs on such management. For Arkansan recipients of Medicaid whose chronic conditions have left them unable to work, a 2021 ruling by the Department of Health and Human Services offered a lifeline, waiving a work requirement put in place in 2018.