Page 2
Louisiana Medicaid Eligibility Manual Issuing MECs and OSS Payments
Reissued July 21, 2025
Page 2 of J-0000 Replacing September 30, 2024 Revised/added text indicated by underscore
Deleted text indicated by “**”
J-210 REPLACEMENT MEC
The MEC is replaced for the following reasons:
Beneficiary’s name has changed; or
MEC was lost, stolen, or damaged.
A request to the contractor for a replacement card is made through LaMEDS. The replacement process will deactivate the previously issued card in an effort to prevent fraud.
J-211 BENEFICIARIES WHO DO NOT RECEIVE AN MEC
An MEC is not issued for:
A Qualified Disabled Working Individual (QDWI);
A Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB);
A Qualifying Individual (QI); or
A non-citizen certified for emergency services only.
Eligibility information for emergency medical services is contained on the notice of decision, which the provider can use to verify through the Medicaid Eligibility Verification System (MEVS). QDWI, SLMB and QI are only eligible for predetermined payments to third parties and receive no Medicaid services for which to bill.
J-300 OPTIONAL STATE SUPPLEMENT (OSS) PAYMENT
The Optional State Supplement (OSS) is a state funded payment of up to $15.00, which is made to certain LTC beneficiaries to help meet their personal care needs.
The maximum OSS payment amount is $ $15.00 after July 1, 2025.
The minimum OSS payment is $1.00. If the gross income is such that the OSS payment amount due is $0.50 to $1.00, the applicant/beneficiary is eligible for a payment of $1.00.
If the gross income is such that the OSS payment amount due is $0.49