http://mycn2.com/politics/senate-panel-passes-bills-requiring-legislators-to-approve-ky-health-benefit-exchange-medicaid-expansion

Publication Date: February 20, 2013

Author: Nick Storm

Senate panel passes bills requiring legislators to approve Ky. health benefit exchange, Medicaid expansion

02/20/2013 12:38 PM

Senate Republicans sent a message to the governor Wednesday morning that they want to have the last word on the creation of a health care exchange and Medicaid expansion.

Senate Bill 39 and Senate Bill 40 passed the Senate Health and Welfare Committee down party lines with no discussion from members. Both are sponsored by Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, who chairs the committee.

The Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, allows states to set up health benefits exchanges that are aimed at matching up uninsured Kentuckians with private health coverage. The state has moved forward with setting up the agency using federal grant money. it will be a part of the state’s Health and Family Services Cabinet.

Gov. Steve Beshear has not announced his decision about whether Kentucky will agree to expand Medicaid to cover Kentuckians earning up to as much as 138 percent of the poverty rate. However Rep. Tom Burch told Pure Politics last week that Beshear told him he will agree to the expansion.

The federal government will cover the full cost of the expansion from 2014 until 2017, then the state’s share will increase to 10 percent of the cost by 2020. Senate Republicans, such as Denton , have expressed concerns for months with the potential costs involved in the program.

About Nick Storm

Nick Storm joined cn|2 in December 2011 as a reporter for Pure Politics. Throughout his career, Nick has covered several big political stories up close, including interviewing President Barack Obama on the campaign trail back in 2008. Nick says he loves being at the forefront of Kentucky politics and working with the brightest journalists in the commonwealth. Follow Nick on Twitter @Nick_Storm. Nick can be reached at 502-792-1107 or nicholas.storm@twcable.com.

Comments

  • David Adams wrote on February 20, 2013 04:50 PM :

    It is misleading to say the federal government will cover the “full cost” of the Medicaid expansion for the first three years. Kentucky’s Medicaid costs will skyrocket starting next year as people with low incomes but jobs providing health insurance lose their coverage and are forced onto Medicaid as well as others who may qualify now but are not enrolled are forced to enroll. Refusing to set up the health insurance exchange would help with alleviate these added costs.

  • viewer wrote on February 20, 2013 05:15 PM :

    David you said you had big news coming last Monday. Did I miss it ? I have talked to some in your crowd about you. You are lobbying for the church bunch that is selling insurance I hear. I also hear you got some dick in you. No now , get your heads out of the gutter , not that dick. Dick Armey is what Im talking about. David Adams likes to get money from the Tea Party people that isnt up to speed on how real politics works. The ones that have good intentions but will fall for anything types. Tea
    Party run of influence is over but they do have some good ideas. Now the David Adams and Dick Morris’s of the party is doing all they can to profiteer before the gig is finshed completely.

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