Health News
Kentucky Senate Health and Welfare Committee Chair Julie Denton, R-Louisville, left, said yesterday that she would file legislation that would block Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear from setting up a health-insurance exchange or expanding Medicaid coverage without legislative approval, Joseph Gerth of The Courier-Journal reports. Beshear has already established an exchange under the federal health reform, but hasn't announced whether he will expand Medicaid.
Denton said the exchanges and Medicaid expansion would be too costly for the state and shouldn't be something Beshear can set up unilaterally. But her effort will likely face opposition in the Democrat-controlled House, Gerth writes. Liberal Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said Denton "should save the ink that it would take to print the bills," and House Democrats would not receive the bill favorably. Burch has been in the legislature longer than any other current member.
State health-insurance exchanges will allow the uninsured to buy insurance from private companies and perhaps get government subsidies to help pay for it. If Medicaid were expanded in Kentucky, hundreds of thousands of more people would be covered, with the fedreal government paying all the extra cost in 2014-16, decreasing to 90 percent by 2020. Gerth reports that Senate Republicans said they will make it a priority "to rein in Beshear on Medicaid," which they fear would be unsustainable if it were expanded. Denton said requiring legislative approval of these parts of "Obamacare" would give Kentucky citizens a greater voice in the process. (Read more)
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A judge upheld Gov. Steve Beshear's decisions to expand Medicaid and set up the state's health-insurance exchange under federal health reform, but his adversaries say they will continue to fight in court. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd's...
- Beshear Looks Likely To Announce That He Will Expand Medicaid
Gov. Steve Beshear appears likely to announce tomorrow that he will expand Kentucky's Medicaid program to people in households with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, under federal health-care reform. The notice of the governor's...
- Beshear Says He Will Decide In Four To Five Weeks, Or July 1 At The Latest, Whether Or Not To Expand Medicaid
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News This story has been updated. Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday that he will decide within the next four to five weeks, or maybe by July 1, whether to expand the Medicaid program under federal health-care reform. Beshear,...
- Beshear Will Expand Medicaid, Democrat And Republican Say; D Says Governor Believes The State Can Opt Out If It's Not Affordable
State legislators in both parties say they expect Gov. Steve Beshear to expand Medicaid to cover several hundred thousand more Kentuckians who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty rate. Rep. Tom Burch, chairman of the House Health and Welfare...
- Republicans Reject Governor's Executive Order Creating Health Benefits Exchange; Move Is Only Symbolic For Now
Republican legislators voted yesterday against Gov. Steve Beshear's executive order creating the Kentucky Health Benefits Exchange, required by federal health reform. Sen. David Givens of Greensburg offered a motion to the legislative Health and Welfare...
Health News
Republicans moving to gain a say over Beshear's decisions about insurance exchange, Medicaid expansion; Democrat dismissive
Denton said the exchanges and Medicaid expansion would be too costly for the state and shouldn't be something Beshear can set up unilaterally. But her effort will likely face opposition in the Democrat-controlled House, Gerth writes. Liberal Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville, said Denton "should save the ink that it would take to print the bills," and House Democrats would not receive the bill favorably. Burch has been in the legislature longer than any other current member.
State health-insurance exchanges will allow the uninsured to buy insurance from private companies and perhaps get government subsidies to help pay for it. If Medicaid were expanded in Kentucky, hundreds of thousands of more people would be covered, with the fedreal government paying all the extra cost in 2014-16, decreasing to 90 percent by 2020. Gerth reports that Senate Republicans said they will make it a priority "to rein in Beshear on Medicaid," which they fear would be unsustainable if it were expanded. Denton said requiring legislative approval of these parts of "Obamacare" would give Kentucky citizens a greater voice in the process. (Read more)
- Judge Oks Medicaid Expansion And Health Insurance Exchange
A judge upheld Gov. Steve Beshear's decisions to expand Medicaid and set up the state's health-insurance exchange under federal health reform, but his adversaries say they will continue to fight in court. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd's...
- Beshear Looks Likely To Announce That He Will Expand Medicaid
Gov. Steve Beshear appears likely to announce tomorrow that he will expand Kentucky's Medicaid program to people in households with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, under federal health-care reform. The notice of the governor's...
- Beshear Says He Will Decide In Four To Five Weeks, Or July 1 At The Latest, Whether Or Not To Expand Medicaid
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News This story has been updated. Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday that he will decide within the next four to five weeks, or maybe by July 1, whether to expand the Medicaid program under federal health-care reform. Beshear,...
- Beshear Will Expand Medicaid, Democrat And Republican Say; D Says Governor Believes The State Can Opt Out If It's Not Affordable
State legislators in both parties say they expect Gov. Steve Beshear to expand Medicaid to cover several hundred thousand more Kentuckians who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty rate. Rep. Tom Burch, chairman of the House Health and Welfare...
- Republicans Reject Governor's Executive Order Creating Health Benefits Exchange; Move Is Only Symbolic For Now
Republican legislators voted yesterday against Gov. Steve Beshear's executive order creating the Kentucky Health Benefits Exchange, required by federal health reform. Sen. David Givens of Greensburg offered a motion to the legislative Health and Welfare...