The Chatter: Poll says Ky. favors Medicaid expansion; UK's survey shows equine industry worth $23 bil.

A poll commissioned by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network shows Kentuckians broadly favor expanding Medicaid to cover health care for more low income families under the Affordable Care Act.

The survey of 812 registered voters was conducted for the Cancer Society’s action network by Lake Research Partners and GS Strategy Group between Dec. 13 and 22. It has a margin of error of 3.5 points, according to the organization. .

The survey showed 63 percent of respondents said they would support Kentucky accepting federal funds to cover people up to 133 percent of the poverty rate, as called for by the Affordable Care Act. The federal government will cover the cost of that expansion for the first three years but starting in 2017, the state would have to kick in 5 percent of the costs.

The poll showed 23 percent would rather turn down the expansion.

Lawmakers opposed to the expansion have argued that Kentucky can’t afford it. The state’s bill for the expansion would go up to 10 percent by 2020.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services has estimated that the expansion would add more than 300,000 Kentuckians to the rolls of Medicaid, which covers health care for the poor and disabled. The Cancer Action Network said 181,000 of those would be people who would be otherwise uninsured.

Gov. Steve Beshear hasn’t decided whether to agree to the expansion yet.

UK Survey says equine industry is worth $23.4 billion

A survey of horse owners in 2012 showed that the industry’s assets — the horses, barns, land and related equipment— are worth $23.4 billion.

The survey was conducted by the Kentucky field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service with support from the Kentucky Horse Council and University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.

A second part of the survey focusing more on the economic impact of the industry will be released later this year, according to UK.