EMERGENCY: Legislature Poised to Empower Bevin to Take Health Coverage from 450,000 Kentuckians

From KY Equal Justice Center, Ben Carter, 3/7/19:

The law in Kentucky requires the Governor and his administrators to “take advantage of all federal funds that may be available for medical assistance.”

This is the current policy.

Rep. Moser’s floor amendment (which you have called to oppose already, right?) would make that policy discretionary.

Why does this matter?

Last summer, Governor Bevin’s first attempt to impose harmful changes to Kentucky’s Medicaid Program lost in court. Now, he’s trying again and has said that if he loses this case he will unexpand Medicaid, stripping Medicaid coverage from hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians.

Changing the state’s policy from pursuing “all federal funds” to one where the Governor has discretion to say “yes” or “no” to federal funds will make it easier for Governor Bevin to make good on his dangerous promise to take away health coverage from almost half a million Kentuckians.

This last-minute amendment would empower the Governor to strip health coverage from 450,000 Kentuckians. Instead of legislators being responsible for deciding what health policy makes sense for their constituents and neighbors, Kentucky lawmakers would pass that responsibility on to a single person, a person who has already threatened to take away health coverage from people who need it if he doesn't get his way.

Until now, Governor Bevin has been waving an unloaded gun when threatening to end Medicaid expansion. With this bill, the Kentucky lawmakers would give him a bullet.

Given Bevin’s promise to end Medicaid expansion if he loses in court, a vote for SB 167 as amended by Rep. Moser’s Floor Amendment is a vote to take health care coverage away from 450,000 Kentuckians.

Last week, legislators in Wyoming and West Virginia decided not to follow Bevin’s lead and declined to impose a work requirement on people getting their health insurance through Medicaid. Instead of doing the same, the Kentucky legislature is poised to give Bevin the power to end Medicaid expansion completely.

The phone number is 1-800-372-7181 and the bill is Floor Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 167. Tell the legislators not to give the Governor the power to make good on his dangerous threat to end Medicaid expansion in Kentucky.

1-800-372-7181.