Kentucky's $231.8 million Medicaid deficit hasn't gotten the attention it deserves given increasing enrollment in the indigent healthcare program, but reality may be about to catch up to us.
The Wall Street Journal reports more than 25 states are trimming Medicaid benefits. Kentucky is not one of them.
The Journal reports:
"As it stands now, the stimulus legislation would require states to retain or restore Medicaid eligibility levels to those of July 1, 2008, but it wouldn't prevent states from making benefit or provider cuts."
Nevada is looking at "eliminating Medicaid coverage for low-income pregnant mothers" and has already cut othodontics and vision coverage from its SCHIP program.
In order to avoid similar cuts, Kentucky officials are going to have to drop their intransigence on labor union reform for starters. And we are still looking for the $180 million a year in Gov. Steve Beshear's promised efficiency study.
More serious than Beshear's campaign puffery is the need to gain a proper accounting of our education system. If we can't get serious about increasing accountability for Kentucky's political class, the underprivileged will pay the price.
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