Kentucky Center for Economic Policy Urges Lawmakers to Fully Fund Medicaid
In a commentary, the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy argues that state lawmakers should respond to voter concerns about affordability with a package of policy actions in the upcoming General Assembly session. Among its recommendations, the group says Medicaid, which covers one in three Kentuckians, is short $421 million that was left out of the original budget, and warns that without full funding the program will face cuts to services as nearly happened last summer, leading to lost coverage and care and higher health costs for everyone. The author says the funds needed to close the gap sit in the state's Budget Reserve Trust Fund and calls on lawmakers to appropriate them. The piece also urges action on housing legislation, utility rate protections tied to AI data centers, and wage policy.