Kentucky House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins (D) said on Tuesday that Gov. Matt Bevin’s (R) Medicaid cuts would end up costing the state’s taxpayers more money while leaving fewer people insured.
In an interview with Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball on “Rising,” Adkins said as a result of the cuts, Medicaid will “actually cost more money than the current program that we have” while “likely losing health care for 100,000 people in Kentucky.”
He also said that premiums will rise as a result of the cuts.
“This program could cost as much as $300 more to implement, basically to oversee, to make sure that work requirements are being implemented, to make sure that new rules are being implemented. So premiums would also be impacted,” he said.
Bevin’s administration announced on Monday that it was scrapping dental and vision benefits for thousands of people in the state on Medicaid after a judge blocked the state’s Medicaid work requirements.
Under the governor’s Medicaid proposal, in addition to the work benefits, enrollees would have had to obtain dental and vision benefits by completing activities like taking classes or searching for a job.
Democrats have slammed Bevin’s move, saying he did not have the legal power to get rid of the benefits.
— Julia Manchester
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