Kentucky Led the Way With the ACA

12-14-2017 21:31

Back in mid-2013, the Affordable Care Act was being buried under an avalanche of skepticism and scorn. Then the governor of a small, rural, and red-leaning state stood up, loudly embraced the ACA, and—against all odds—aggressively used it as a tool to expand access to health care to over half a million of his people. 

Steve Beshear—who was governor of Kentucky from 2007 until 2015—will explain the discussion and analysis that led to his decision to expand Medicaid and create a state-operated Health Benefit Exchange he called “kynect.” He will recount how he navigated treacherous political waters to work with providers and others to attack Kentucky’s poor health and implement what he called “reform with a capital R.” He will detail how—by the time he left office in December 2015—expanded access to health coverage had begun to pay off in measurable ways for Kentucky. 

Building off the themes in his book, “People over Politics,” former Governor Beshear gave a timely analysis of how the current push in both Washington and Frankfort to strip health care access from tens of millions of people represents a backtrack on this nation’s commitment to its families. 

He also served as Attorney General from 1979-1983, Lieutenant Governor from 1983-1987, and was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1973- 1979. As Governor, he expanded the Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act and launched the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, benefiting over 500,000 Kentuckians. Together, these actions reduced the state’s uninsured rate from over 20% to 8% and ensured that for the first time in history, every Kentuckian would have access to affordable health insurance.

Author(s):Steven Beshear, Former Governor of Kentucky
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5. Gov Beshear Friday Gen Session.pptx   561 KB   1 version
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CPI17 Gov Beshear Audio.mp3   46.70 MB   1 version
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