Health Care

Opportunity:               

Kentucky should reform the state’s Medicaid program to identify efficiencies and focus investments on areas that lead to wellness in addition to treating illness.

 

Approach:

1. Offer incentives to providers who order wellness or preventative services to patients and develop regional cost savings initiatives.
2. Scale co-pays on income for Medicaid recipients.
3. Require Medicaid recipients who smoke to pay higher co-pays.
4. Reduce errors by reviewing those who are considered “Medicaid eligible” for accuracy and eliminating overpayments.
5. Encourage the use of generic drugs for Medicaid recipients.

Opportunity:               

The Chamber opposes any new medical mandates that increase health care costs

 

Approach:

1. The Chamber encourages support for “employer choice”, which allows employers to purchase insurance riders (i.e. “must offer” rider coverage), in lieu of mandates.

 

Opportunity:              

Enact real medical liability reform to lower health care costs on employers, employees, and their families, who incur the costs passed on to them due to increased litigation, increased damages awarded, and the increased use of practicing defensive medicine.

                        

Approach:

1. Require non-binding arbitration in the form of medical review panels for a three year period to review medical malpractice claims and render an expert decision regarding the standard of care and causation.