By Stu Johnson
Frankfort, KY – The challenge of balancing the state's Medicaid budget is in the hands of the Kentucky senate. Members of the senate budget committee yesterday heard from state administrators. The house has already approved Governor Beshear's plan to shift $166 million to the current year and seek more long term savings through private sector managed care. Secretary of Health and Family Services Janie Miller says there's been healthy interest' in the state's requests for managed care proposal.
"We are even more confident than we were a month ago that in fact, there is opportunity to help us to manage those delivery systems and to do this in a way that is responsible."
Miller says many other states are looking to reap savings through a private sector managed care program in Medicaid. If this approach is not taken, State Budget Director Mary Lassiter says the only other viable option is to cut the provider reimbursement rate by 30%.