FRANKFORT, KY. – Today, the Kentucky House passed House Bill 2, which creates barriers to Medicaid access in the Commonwealth.
The following is a Statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Government Relations Director Doug Hogan:
“The bill that passed in the Kentucky House of Representatives rushes the implementation process for co-payments that will increase out-of-pocket costs significantly for low-income Kentuckians with Medicaid health insurance, well ahead of what federal law requires.
“This bill disproportionately penalizes cancer patients by implementing the maximum allowable co-payment of $35 for inpatient hospital care, which is where cancer patients largely receive their lifesaving treatment. This bill also puts lives at risk and will mean more cancer patients forced to forgo treatment, live sicker and die sooner.
“Kentucky families, especially those impacted by cancer, deserve stability, dignity and a system that protects them when they are at their most vulnerable.
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network calls on the Senate to understand how the barriers erected by this bill will impact Kentuckians’ ability to be healthy and take care of their families. The Senate has an opportunity to lessen the impact on working families and prevent unnecessary government red tape in our state. This bill is a matter of life or death for individuals with low incomes and serious health conditions, and the Senate has a responsibility to stop it.”