Kentucky Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 22, 2008, to require the Department of Medicaid Services to request federal permission to extend Medicaid coverage to uninsured women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer or precancerous conditions who are under age 65 and otherwise not eligible for Medicaid

The vote was 36 in favor, 0 opposed and 2 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 0 at Senate Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

Senator Kerr? May I suggest amending your legislatin to include directing State Cabinet for health and Family Services, Department for Human Support Services, Division of Aging Services to apply for Federal Medicaid Waiver authorizing Kentucky Mediaid funding a rent subsidy for seniors not ready for nursing home care to reside in an assisted living facility. Not only would this Federal Medicaid Waiver open up more Kentucky senior housing, but save State estimated difference between $150 per day for Nursing home costs compared to $62.00 per day in Assisted Living facility costs. Its a win-win for all! Seniors currently residing in a nursing home who are qualified to reside in a private room assisted living facility if Medicaid could pick up their tab, could save state difference between $62 and $150 per month costs to state if Medicaid waivers authorized. Bill Huff

I'm not saying this is a bad idea, because everyone should have access to basic health care. However, this bill would discriminate against men with cancer who can't afford insurance and are not eligible for medicaid. If we are going to put uninsured cancer patients into the welfare class, that is fine. But let's not pass a bill that will be held unconstitutional two years down the road and after lengthy, expensive legislation. Please think through this kind of feel-good legislation before setting the tax payers up for lengthy, expensive litigation.

What does Kentucky portend to do with senior females? Right now, if senior female not ready for nursing home residence in a semi-private room, that's where majority are sent costing Medicaid upwards of around $75,000 per year! However, if state of Kentucky would obtain an approved waiver from federal Medicaid allowing state medicaid dollars to be used to house senior females in assisted living facilities in a private room with 3 meals per day, free housekeeping and laundry along with security and other ammentities, cost to state medicaid would be around $39,000 per year! Why not amend this legislation to seek that end? dash

Why doesn't the government focus on the problem ...the cost of healthcare....and not band-aiding or placating by giving away what isn't theirs to give. The reason healthcare is so expensive in the first place is because of government involvement. Testing, medicine, and procedures should become less expensive over time (like technology, which isn't regulated)instead of more expensive. Can't anyone see what our entitlement programs are doing? Google why David Walker resigned as US Comptroller...it's because the US is going bankrupt; we're spending more than we make...a lot more!

Consider amending federal medicaid waiver request to include petitioning feds to permit state medicaid dollars to be used to fund seniors stay in assisted living. Feds granting such request would save state estimated medicaid dollars; i.e., current seniors cost for nursing home confinement annually runs an estimated $80,000 compared to annual estimated assisted living facility costs of $35,000 dollars! dash