By Angela Hatton /Associated Press
Louisville, KY – Kentucky is moving toward a statewide health care system that uses federal Medicaid dollars and puts one or more companies in charge. The initiative began with a request yesterday for proposals from vendors. The Courier-Journal reports it's a quick response to the special legislative session that concluded Wednesday. The plan would put most of the state's public health care program in the hands of established providers. Officials with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services declined comment, saying procurement rules limit what they can say. Records show Medicare serves more than 800,000 Kentuckians who have low incomes or are disabled. As many as 550,000 people now on Medicaid may be eligible for managed care services under the new plan.