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Public Hearing on Proposed Medicaid Changes in Kentucky Set for June 28 in Bowling Green

Flickr/Creative Commons/Leicester Royal Infirmary

A public hearing on Governor Matt Bevin’s proposed changes to Kentucky’s Medicaid program will be held Tuesday, June 28 in Bowling Green.

The leader of an Owensboro-based community development group sees positives and negatives in  Bevin’s proposal. 

Jiten Shah is executive director of Green River Area Development District and is on the board of Kentucky Voices for Health.

He’s concerned about Bevin’s plan to have Medicaid recipients pay a monthly premium.

“I do have some concerns, you know especially, the recipients would have to have a monthly premium. Since the Medicaid expansion is serving the low income population for the insurance, and many of them may not be able to afford monthly payments of $1 all the way up to $15 a month.”

Shah said even relatively small payments could be difficult for many low-income people already struggling to make ends meet.

The proposed changes would add the premium, but do away with the co-pay that Medicaid recipients are charged when they go for a medical appointment. 

But there are also parts of Bevin’s plan Shah supports.

“Things that are proposed by the governor have a lot more positive things, too. Especially providing the drug treatment program for the citizens. Along with that, the one thing really exciting to me is moving the individuals to take responsibility for their own health.”

The public hearing in Bowling Green is set for June 28  from 10 a.m. to noon central time at the Knicely Conference Center on Nashville Road.

Two other public hearings are scheduled. One is in Frankfort on June 29 and the other in Hazard on July 6.

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