After Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) notified the Obama administration he will dismantle Kynect, the state's health insurance exchange, many are left wondering what the state will do and how it will be affected, according to The New York Times.
Gov. Bevin's decision is unprecedented, but the Obama administration has promised to help Kentucky transition to the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov. A spokeswoman for Gov. Bevin's office, Jessica Ditto, said the transition may occur before the next open enrollment season in November.
Creating Kynect cost the state $290 million in federal grants, and Ms. Ditto said the Bevin administration is not expecting to have to repay the federal government. However, previous Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) estimated it would cost the state $23 million to dismantle Kynect.
Numerous Kentuckians are worried about the switch to the federal exchange for one simple reason: Kynect is easier to use than HealthCare.gov. Other citizens are concerned about losing coverage when the state switches to the federal exchange.
Some are worried about the wider implications of Gov. Bevin's decision. During his campaign, Gov. Bevin promised to end the state's Medicaid expansion program, but he has changed his mind about doing so. Still, he has said the program is not financially sustainable in its current form.