Auditor: Kentucky Needs More Resources to Handle Medicaid Expansion

Kentucky will likely face challenges in serving additional beneficiaries under Medicaid expansion, according to a report from Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts Adam Edelen.

The state needs approximately 3,790 additional physicians, 612 more dentists, 5,635 more registered nurses, 296 physician assistants and 269 more optometrists to meet the current demands of its Medicaid program. Even more resources will be needed to provide adequate care under the expansion, according to the report.

The report also expressed significant concern about the state's rural hospitals, raising the question of whether or not they have access to the resources they need to endure the financial and administrative pressures of the state's Medicaid program long term.

The state Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will extend coverage to more than 300,000 Kentucky residents.

More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
Missouri Legislature Urged to Expand Medicaid
Virginia Medicaid Expansion Could Hinge on Election Outcome
The Impact of Not Expanding Medicaid