Medicaid Funding Bill Clears House

Gov. Steve Beshear’s plan for balancing the state’s Medicaid budget has taken a giant step forward in the Kentucky General Assembly. The House voted 80-19 to move 166-million dollars from the second year of the Medicaid budget, to the current year, to cover a large deficit. All 19 opponents, including Rep. Stan Lee of Lexington, were Republicans. Lee said, “I think we need to be cautious. I think we need to be worried about moving money from one account to another – one bookkeeping trick to another – to just balance books and hopefully get more federal dollars. I mean, it does seem to be a bit confusing.”The bill moves the Senate for consideration.