Black Health Profile
Black health in Louisiana
1,476,023
Black residents (ACS)
31.80%
Of state population
Louisiana has 1.5 million Black residents — nearly a third of the state, one of the highest shares nationally. Louisiana also has the highest pregnancy-related mortality rate in the United States for Black women. LSU Health New Orleans and Ochsner Health anchor the state's medical infrastructure; the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative is one of the longest-running in the South.
The Louisiana Department of Health's Maternal Mortality Review reports Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at roughly four times the white rate. Cardiovascular conditions and hemorrhage account for the majority of preventable deaths.
On the positive side, every US state now has CDC-funded maternal mortality review committees, and most have at least one HRSA-designated federally qualified health center serving low-income Black residents. The ten facet pages below point to state-specific programs and providers.
Key takeaways
- Black residents: 1,476,023 (31.8% of the state).
- Medicaid expansion adopted.
- Medicaid does not cover doula services.
- Certified nurse-midwife scope-of-practice recognized by Medicaid.
- 12-month postpartum Medicaid extension active.
Health outcomes & coverage
Ten race-stratified indicators drawn from CDC, Census, KFF, and SAMHSA primary sources. Each page links the underlying dataset, compares to the national average, and frames the state-specific drivers and policy levers.
maternal mortality
Black women in Louisiana die from pregnancy-related causes at 71.4 per 100,000 live births — 3.8× the US national rate of 19.
Read the maternal mortality breakdown
infant mortality
Black infants in Louisiana die before age one at 14.8 per 1,000 live births — compared to the US all-race rate of 5.4.
Read the infant mortality breakdown
cardiovascular mortality
Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality among Black residents of Louisiana: 392.8 deaths per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 I00-I99).
Read the cardiovascular mortality breakdown
diabetes prevalence
16.5% of Black adults in Louisiana have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.
Read the diabetes prevalence breakdown
breast cancer mortality
Age-adjusted breast cancer mortality among Black women in Louisiana: 30.4 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C50).
Read the breast cancer mortality breakdown
prostate cancer mortality
Age-adjusted prostate cancer mortality among Black men in Louisiana: 44.2 per 100,000 (CDC WONDER, ICD-10 C61).
Read the prostate cancer mortality breakdown
life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth for Black residents of Louisiana: 71.4 years (US all-race: 77.5).
Read the life expectancy breakdown
uninsured rate
9.7% of Black residents of Louisiana have no health insurance coverage — vs. a US all-race uninsured rate of 8%.
Read the uninsured rate breakdown
Medicaid coverage
About 40% of Black residents of Louisiana receive Medicaid coverage. Louisiana is a Medicaid expansion state.
Read the Medicaid coverage breakdown
mental health access
61% of Black adults in Louisiana who experienced a past-year mental health need reported not receiving the treatment they needed (SAMHSA NS…
Read the mental health access breakdown
Policy context in Louisiana
Louisiana has adopted Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid does not currently cover doula services. Postpartum Medicaid coverage extends for 12 months after delivery, the federal recommended standard.
Louisiana adopted Medicaid expansion in July 2016 under Governor Edwards's first executive order (JBE 2016-01). Postpartum Medicaid extension to 12 months took effect in 2022. Louisiana Medicaid does not currently cover doula services, though a working group convened by the Department of Health has recommended adoption.
Find Black health providers & resources in Louisiana
Counties in Louisiana
County-level Black Health profiles for the 2 Louisiana counties with the fullest race-stratified data and editorial coverage.
Data sources & refresh cadence
- US Census ACS 5-year 2019–2023, Table B02001 (race) & S1903 (income).
- CDC WONDER Multiple Cause of Death (D69) & Underlying Cause of Death (D76), 2018–2022 release.
- KFF Medicaid expansion and state coverage trackers, Q1 2026.
- SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 state annual.
- HRSA NHSC workforce data, 2024.
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