Louisiana free clinics and community health centers by region
Louisiana's safety net for people without insurance is built around a few dozen nonprofit health center networks, several long running volunteer free clinics, and the state's parish health units. This guide covers those organizations and the other medical, mental health, and public health options in each region of the state, with phone numbers, websites, and notes on who qualifies.
The largest network, Access Health Louisiana, grew out of a single St. Charles Parish clinic and now runs health centers across the southeast part of the state. Teche Health in Franklin was the first federally qualified health center in Louisiana, and the MLK Health Center in Shreveport has treated uninsured adults at no cost since 1986.
Government coverage matters here too, because Louisiana expanded Medicaid and many adults with low income now qualify. The section near the end of this guide explains how to apply, and most of the health centers in this guide can help with the application during a visit. Readers who need dental care instead can use the NHPB guide to free and low cost dental clinics in Louisiana, which covers dental schools, charitable programs, and Medicaid dentists.
Greater New Orleans (New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, Luling)
New Orleans has more free and sliding fee clinics than any other part of the state, and the NHPB guide to community clinics in New Orleans and Orleans Parish covers the city's options in detail, including its volunteer free clinics and homeless health programs. Two regional networks deserve mention here because their reach goes well past the city limits.
Access Health Louisiana is the largest community health center network in the state, with clinics in the river parishes, Kenner, Chalmette, Belle Chasse, and the New Orleans area. Call 1-866-530-6111 to make an appointment at any location, or find the nearest clinic at https://accesshealthla.org. No one is turned away for being uninsured, visits are priced on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income, and staff can take Medicaid applications at the clinic. Many sites also include behavioral health, dental care, and a pharmacy that delivers medication at no charge.
InclusivCare serves Jefferson Parish and the surrounding communities from clinics in Avondale, Marrero, and other west bank locations. Call (504) 436-2223 or visit https://inclusivcare.com. The organization began as Jefferson Community Health Care Centers, and some older listings still show that name. Medical and dental visits are open to everyone, with income based discounts for patients who lack insurance.
Baton Rouge and the capital region (Baton Rouge, Zachary, Clinton, New Roads)
CareSouth Medical & Dental is Baton Rouge's community health center, with its main clinic on Florida Boulevard and satellite offices in Zachary, Donaldsonville, and Plaquemine. Call (225) 650-2000 or visit https://www.caresouth.org. Patients may get medical, dental, behavioral health, and podiatry care, along with an in-house pharmacy and transportation help. Fees follow a sliding scale for people without insurance.
Open Health Care Clinic runs clinics in Baton Rouge and Denham Springs generally with evening and Saturday hours, which is unusual for safety net care in this region. Call (225) 655-6422 or visit https://www.ohcc.org. The clinic provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services to anyone, regardless of insurance or income.
RKM Primary Care covers the rural parishes north and west of Baton Rouge, with clinics in Clinton, Baton Rouge, and Port Allen. Call (225) 683-5292 or visit https://www.rkmcare.org. Services include primary care for all ages, dental work, prenatal care, and Medicaid eligibility help, and the organization offers free patient transportation to appointments. Innis Community Health Center fills the same role for Pointe Coupee, Iberville, and Avoyelles parishes, with clinics in Innis, Livonia, and New Roads reachable at (225) 492-3775.
The Northshore and Florida Parishes (Hammond, Slidell, Greensburg, Bogalusa)
Southeast Community Health Systems operates about twenty clinic sites across East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Tangipahoa, and St. Helena parishes from its home office in Zachary. Call (225) 306-2000 or visit https://www.shchc.org. The organization has treated the uninsured and underinsured in rural southeast Louisiana since 1992, and services now include medical, dental, dermatology, and behavioral health care on income based terms.
Access Health Louisiana, described earlier in this guide, also runs clinics in Hammond, Kentwood, and the Slidell area, so Northshore readers may check both networks for the closest site.
Houma, Thibodaux and the bayou parishes (Houma, Franklin, Morgan City)
Teche Health covers St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. James, and St. John parishes with clinics in Franklin, Houma, Thibodaux, Pierre Part, Edgard, and other bayou towns. Call the home office at (337) 828-2550 or find each clinic at https://techehealth.org. The organization operated for decades as the Teche Action Clinic, so many directories still use the old name. Patients may get primary care, dental care, behavioral health, women's health, and WIC services, with a sliding fee scale for the uninsured and enrollment specialists who help people sign up for Medicaid, Medicare, or marketplace coverage.
Lafayette and Acadiana (Lafayette, New Iberia, Opelousas, St. Martinville)
Iberia Comprehensive Community Health Center anchors the Acadiana safety net from New Iberia, with satellite clinics in Lafayette, St. Martinville, and nearby towns. Call (337) 365-4945 or visit https://www.icchc.org. No one is denied access to services over inability to pay, and a discounted sliding fee schedule applies for individuals and families. Care generally runs six days a week at some sites and includes medical, dental, and vision services.
Southwest Louisiana Primary Health Care Center serves the Opelousas area and St. Landry Parish from its clinic on Highway 182. Call (337) 942-2005 or visit https://swlphc.org. The center provides medical, pediatric, dental, and behavioral health care, including dentures and other restorative dental work that is hard to find at low cost.
Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana (Lake Charles, Sulphur, Oberlin)
SWLA Center for Health Services has served southwest Louisiana since 1978, with clinics in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Crowley, and Oberlin. Call (337) 439-9983 or visit https://www.swlahealth.org. The organization treats patients across Calcasieu, Cameron, Allen, and Acadia parishes with medical, dental, mental health, and specialty care on a sliding fee scale.
The Community Health Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital in Sulphur was created to expand care for low income and medically underserved residents on the west side of the Lake Charles area. Call (337) 310-0395, with details at https://www.wcch.com. The center grew out of the region's longtime free clinic effort and now serves as the area's community based option for people who would otherwise use the emergency room for routine care.
Alexandria and central Louisiana (Alexandria, Natchitoches, Leesville, Bunkie)
Rapides Primary Health Care Center provides sliding fee medical, dental, and behavioral health care in Alexandria, with an additional clinic in Bunkie for Avoyelles Parish. Call (318) 487-4400, with details at https://www.rphcc.org. The center accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance, and uninsured patients pay based on income.
Outpatient Medical Center covers the west central part of the state, with clinics in Natchitoches and Leesville. Call (318) 352-9299 or visit the center through the state health center finder listed near the end of this guide. Services include medical, dental, and counseling care priced by income.
Community Healthworx is Alexandria's volunteer free clinic and charitable pharmacy. Call (318) 767-9979. The clinic serves working people who earn too much for Medicaid but cannot afford insurance, and its pharmacy may fill prescriptions at no charge for eligible patients. Hours are limited to weekdays early in the week, so call before going.
Shreveport, Bossier City and northwest Louisiana (Shreveport, Minden, Haynesville)
David Raines Community Health Centers runs six clinics across the northwest corner of the state, in Shreveport, Bossier City, Minden, Haynesville, and Gilliam, plus school based health centers in Shreveport schools. Call (318) 227-3350 or visit https://www.davidraineschc.org. Patients of all ages may get medical, dental, and behavioral health care, with income based discounts for the uninsured.
MLK Health Center & Pharmacy is northwest Louisiana's oldest free clinic. Call (318) 227-2912 or visit https://mlkhealth.org. The center provides primary care and pharmacy services at no cost to uninsured and underinsured adults living with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure. It exists for people who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private insurance, and it also runs specialty clinics for women's health and diabetes care.
Monroe and northeast Louisiana (Monroe, Bastrop, Ruston)
Primary Health Services Center is the community health center for Ouachita, Morehouse, and Lincoln parishes, with its main clinic on Desiard Street in Monroe. Call (318) 388-1250 or visit https://www.phsccenter.org. The center provides primary care, a pharmacy, and outreach to homeless residents, with fees set by income for the uninsured.
CommuniHealth Services covers Morehouse, Union, and Ouachita parishes with clinics in Bastrop, Monroe, West Monroe, Marion, Mer Rouge, and Downsville, along with school based health centers where students are treated even without insurance. Call (318) 283-8887 or visit https://communihealth.org. The organization was known for years as Morehouse Community Medical Centers, and it offers medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services on a sliding fee scale.
Parish health units run by the state
Louisiana's public health system reaches every corner of the state through parish health units run by the Louisiana Department of Health. Depending on the parish, a health unit may offer immunizations, family planning and birth control, pregnancy testing, WIC, tuberculosis testing, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, generally at low or no cost. Find the health unit for your parish through the department's regional directory at https://ldh.la.gov/oph-regional-offices/..
Getting covered while you get care
Louisiana expanded Medicaid, so adults with low income may qualify for Healthy Louisiana coverage even if they were turned down years ago. Apply online at https://mymedicaid.la.gov or call Medicaid customer service at 1-888-342-6207 for free help with the application. Staff at the health centers in this guide can generally help patients apply during a visit. Other state programs that help low income households are covered in the NHPB guide to health care for uninsured in Louisiana.
More clinics and related help
The Louisiana Primary Care Association lists every community health center site in the state, searchable by parish, at https://lpca.net/health-centers/search/. Additional volunteer clinics appear in the national directory at https://nafcclinics.org.
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